Butterscotch Sapodilla Tree best suited for Florida not California

[Johnny Eat Fruit]

I had high hopes for the Butterscotch sapodilla tree in SoCal but based on the growth pattern I am seeing it is not well suited here at my location. In August is is just now staring to flush and appears to to be low vigor variety based on my assessment.  If anyone in California has a good example of  the Butterscotch Sapodilla tree doing well please post photos. Enclosed is a recent photo of my tree just now starting to flush. Looks like I wasted my money on this variety. My Thomas, Alano, Tikal and Venezuela sapodilla all look look good and are green with lush green growth but not the Butterscotch Sapodilla (See Attached Photos). The Butterscotch Sapodilla tree is a laggard and disappointing. Please prove me wrong in my assessment and post photos of your Butterscotch growing in California.

Johnny

 



Butterscotch Sapodilla Tree in #15 Pot (7-30-2025)



Tikal-Venezuela Sapodilla Tree Multi Graft (7-30-2025)



Alano Sapodilla Graft with Fruit (7-30-2025)

 

Thomas Sapodilla Tre in #20 Pot (7-30-2025)

[TropicalFruitHunters]

I've seen people cut out large trees in Florida for not producing. I have a big one I here in Thailand I brought with me and it flowers all the time, but never sets a fruit.  If space is ever needed, it will be the first to go.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

mine all perform poorly compared to others, like alano, and makok

[sc4001992]

Graft 4 scions onto your Tikal, it may grow better on that tree since it is so vigorous. Or just sell it to me if you want to get rid of it.

[Johnny Eat Fruit]

Hi Kaz. If you want it you can come by and pick it up. I will sell it to you cheap.  It’s just not vigorous at my location and I already have four other varieties.

[sc4001992]

sounds good, will send you a message, thanks.

[Johnny Eat Fruit]

Thanks Kaz. Hopefully the Butterscotch will perform better at your more inland location.

Johnny

[CA Hockey]

Eh give it time. My tikal was wimpy for about 7 years. Now it's growing crazy and as flowers for the first time. It's like a completely different tree

[Julie]

Butterscotch sapodilla is a very slow grower in Florida too.  Mine is tiny and it's like 7 years old

[Bobooshki]

Butterscotch sapodilla is not a slow grower in Florida.

I have two planted trees that are both quite large. The larger of which is roughly 15’ tall.

They do take a while to start producing more heavily and I don’t know that it would ever reach the production of something like a Morena, which fruits profusely…. For a backyard grower, however, it provides more than enough fruit. The fruit is also huge and delicious and they are very attractive trees.

I think of it like a lemonzest mango tree. It’s not going to produce as much as some of the heavy producers, but the fruit quality is world class and well worth the space.

[Bobooshki]

Here is the larger one, several months ago (it is even bigger now):

[Seanny]

Sapodilla is salt tolerance.
Try doubling or tripling fertilizer.

I water mine daily.

[Johnny Eat Fruit]

Applying extra nitrogen will not change the nature of this Sapodilla tree.  I suspect this Butterscotch is best adapted to hot subtropical conditions and Not Costal mild Mediterranean conditions we experience here in the Orange County Beach community. 

My four other sapodilla trees grow at a much faster rate at my location. Maybe warmer inland temperatures will improve growth of this variety. Good luck to those that have this tree in California.

Johnny

[pineflatwoods]

Sapodillas take a long time to get established, I don't remember them being very common in So Cal when I lived there, but obviously they can be grown.

A lot of people have soured on Butterscotch, it seems to not produce well, and when it does the flavor seems to be nothing special, even if the fruit are larger.

[Seanny]

I have an allegedly BS that is grafted to Alano.
It’s side is growing thicker than Alano.

Bark graft it to a better tree.
Now is still a good time to graft,

[Amel]

Here is the larger one, several months ago (it is even bigger now):

Looks good, how old is it?

[Bobooshki]

This tree has been planted for roughly 3 years and I got it in a 7gal.

[Coconut Cream]

Sapodillas take a long time to get established

I think that might be the problem for Johnny. Sapodilla can become a very large, productive and vigorous tree but some of them are verrrrrrrryyyyyy slow out of the gate.

[JCorte]

I’m growing mine a couple blocks from the ocean, so very cool coastal climate, today’s high was only 72.  Seems to grow as well as my Molix, Hasya, and Thomas.

As Seanny mentioned maybe it’s your rootstock?  I got mine from a trusted source, so I know I have the true variety.








Janet

[NissanVersa]

I ended up culling mine about 6 months ago.  It had a dwarf habit like makok but never fruited unlike makok who breaks branches with fruit load.

In my zone Houston TX (9a) with tropicals in pots and HOT humid summer; it did not enjoy its life. It was loaded with flowers and had tons of other sapodillas around it for years.
In general, ended up culling all(6) my sapodillas as they werent up to par with other fruits that require less work for me here.

[Flgarden]

Mine went from 3gal to 15 is 3 years. Fruiting and flowering all year long.

[roblack]

BS has a normal growth habit for saps, from my observations here. Ours is probably 9 feet tall now, and has been flowering for 2 years, no fruit yet. Planted as a 3 or 5 gallon a couple of years ago, semi-shaded.

[spaugh]

What month is sapodilla ready to pick in CA?  My trees are full of fruit but I have no idea when they will be ready to pick?

[CarolinaZone]

My two cents. Maybe it the tree not the cultivar. I buy two of almost everything and it never ceases to amaze me how I will have one tree that has a superior growth habit fruit flavor resistance to bugs better size or flavor. I live in a Not Tropical area that is barely Zone 8 and have owned 3. Got one from Mike at Treesnmore it has put on a about a foot in height in 6 months. Take some grafts and add it to another tree. Btw the one I ate was not what I was looking for. It tasted of mamey i.e. sweet potatoe/pumpkin flavor instead of pear in brown sugar. I let it fall from the tree. BS maybe bs or maybe it is my tree

[Seanny]

My only Alano fruit dropped last week.
I ate it same day.
Tasted good.

I got some Alano from a friend today.
He didn’t know if they were ready.
He told me to put in a paper bag with an apple and report back so he could start harvesting.

What month is sapodilla ready to pick in CA?  My trees are full of fruit but I have no idea when they will be ready to pick?