For Sale: Advance Order -air layered lucuma tree

[70Malibu]

Re-posted again.

This Advance Order List is mainly for those who have traded or purchased from me before.

If I don't fill the 10 spots, then I will consider adding others who meet the requirements listed below.

I prefer that you arrange for a pickup when the air layers are ready.

I may not be able to put the air layer on the tree until spring so this is being delayed now. If it changes, I will update the status here.


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Advance Order: Lucuma tree-air layer
« on: September 24, 2025, 10:38:54 PM »
Quote
This is for an air layered Lucuma, Inca Gold. I think this is one of the original trees around. It was Alfredo Chiri's tree (passed away now).

This is an advance order, once I get the go ahead to do these air layers, I will put on my air layers on the mother tree or the grafted tree from the mother tree.

I may be another 3 months or longer before I can cut the branch off, but wanted to get a list going so I know how many people want to buy one.

The cost may range from $100 to $200 depending on the size (diameter) of the branch that I air layer. You can see his fruit photo below.

Here's the requirement to be on my Advance Order List:
1. You must be a forum member for a minimum of 1 year.
2. Priority will go to those members who have purchased or traded with me before.
3. There may only be around 10 air layers for sure, any more will be sold after I cut the branch off the tree.
4. Cost is from $100 each to $200 each tree.
5. No shipping out of CA, prefer you come pickup when it is ready.
6. You should message me so I can put you on this list I will create and post below.
7. I have the right to refuse to sell to anyone. If I don't reply to your message, then you will not be able to buy one.
8. The CRFG (orange county) created a fund raiser, and scholarship with his name to honor the work he has done with rare fruit trees so most of the profit will go to his scholarship funds. His widow would be happy that Alfredo's knowledge of the lucuma was spread amongst the fruit collectors here in the states.

Once I hit the 10 names on this list, I will not take any more. You only pay me when I tell you I'm shipping your order.

Thanks, Kaz

[70Malibu]

Send me a message if you are interested.

So far, I have 3 out of 10 spots filled.

[70Malibu]

Info on Alfredo, Ica Gold.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWxAqoi6p30

Here's the description of both the moist flesh and dry flesh lucuma. This article was written by Alfredo Chiri.
It does mention the lucuma he donated to the CSUF arboretum, Inca Gold (Lúcuma de palo’) but I have not seen any fruits on that smaller tree there.

https://ocfruit.com/Lucuma.php

[70Malibu]

List has been updated: 10/10/25

Ok, if you sent me a message to get on the Advance Order list and you don't see your name below, please send me another message this week..

1. Reggiesveggies
2. SHV
3. RevivalR00ts
4. OKvid
5. Madridje
6. Kaz
7. Fruit Nut
8. elouicious
9. SD Dan
10.John M.


List is Closed. When I get more info on when I can go put the air layers on the tree, I will update those on the list.
If I don't have 10 advance orders, I will still do the 10 branches, then sell them and give the money for his scholarship fund.

[70Malibu]

There are 2 more open spots on this list, then I will close it for now.

[70Malibu]

I will close this Advance Order List by the end of October. There are some people who meet the requirements but have not traded or purchased from me. I will be adding them on this list if there are still openings for the 10 air layers I will do.

If you want to be on the list, send me a message soon, Once I get the ok to put the air layers, I expect this list to be done.
Also, if anyone on this list wants to buy any scions that I may get this week, send me a request and if I have extras (after I graft it), then I can sell you one each ($10, plus shipping).

[akimbo]

Out of curiosity, would you say lucuma is a similar texture as eggfruit?  Thanks in advance!

[70Malibu]

It does taste similar to the canistel fruit. But I think canistel has more to eat.

When I compare the lucuma de seda to canistel, the Bruce and Roger's PR canistel has more flesh to eat.
The lucuma fruit tastes good, Dan's has more flavor profile than the arboretum lucuma de seda. But lucuma does take a long time before the tree or air layered branches will hold fruit. I was told by an experienced grower that grafted branches could take 5-7yrs to fruit. The air layered branches could also take 4-6 years to fruit.

With canistel, it will fruit every year pretty quickly after grafting (2yrs) and has high fruit production.

[70Malibu]

For those above on the Advance Order List, this is your chance to buy 1 scion of the Inca Gold lucuma.

Here's the sale:
1. Only open to those on my list above.
2. Cost of Inca Gold scion, $10 each, max order is qty=2.
3. Cost to ship, $11
4. PayPal payment, Friends & Family only.
5. Send me a message if you are interested in the scions. I will not be getting any more until I go back to put on the air layers (may be next spring).
6. I will be donating the profit from the scion sale or air layers to the Alfredo Chiri scholarship fund.

I'll post some photos of this fruit later.

[70Malibu]

Here's my photo of the tree and fruits.

[70Malibu]

I cut open 1 fruit but it was not ripe yet. Not much taste yet.

[elouicious]

should be soft to the touch and easily split open with hands when ripe

[70Malibu]

Ok, good info. I did get the same feedback from Robert who has a large Inca Gold tree.

I had enough fruits now so I thought I try opening one that looked almost ripe and check the taste. Now I will wait as you said until they are are soft when I squeeze it.

I was very surprised to see so many fruits from the mother tree. I had over 50 full size fruits that fell off the tree so far. It looked like maybe another dozen still on the tree. The Inca Gold tree seems to have a much better fruit production than the lucuma de seda at the arboretum or Dan's large tree. But so far I liked the taste of Dan's lucuma de seda fruits the most. I already collected 20 fruits myself from the Inca Gold tree.

For those of you on the Advance Order List, if I get more cuttings from Dan's tree, you will have priority to purchase scions. His tree fruit production is similar to the one at the arboretum, about 1-2 dozen fruits.

[ScottR]

I tasted a A. Chiri 'Inca Gold' fruit Kaz, sent me he want by opinion because I have a fruiting seedling of Inca Gold not sure of source but got my tree in 2002 at CRFG conference in Orange County but don't remember what city. Any way I tasted the 'Inca Gold' today and was very rich in butterscotch, caramel, flan type taste profile not as moist as sweet potato but not as dry as other dry type lucumas I grow. You can eat skin too with no disagreeable flavor fruit was maybe richer than my seedling fruit but very good I think best of Ice cream or smoothies. And only one small seed and another small misshapen seed. Very goo flesh to seed ratio highly recommend this variety.

[70Malibu]

Robert, thanks for your taste test feedback. Glad it was good to you. I will try another fruit later this week or weekend. I can already smell the fruit now.

[70Malibu]

I updated the information on Alfredo's work above.

Here's the description of both the moist flesh and dry flesh lucuma. This article was written by Alfredo Chiri.
It does mention the lucuma he donated to the CSUF arboretum, Inca Gold (Lúcuma de palo’) but I have not seen any fruits on that smaller tree there. This one seems to have more historic significance.

---------------
The Lúcuma de palo fruit is yellow in color and appears to have originated in the Peru-vian coastal valleys at the base of the Andes hillsides. The golden color of the fruit is unique to this Peruvian native tree. There are very few cultivars left in Perú that contain this golden charac-teristic, and they are carefully cared for and guarded by a small, select group of Inca descendants. These Inca descendants still consider this fruit to be an important part of their belief in Sun worship, and they believe that the fruit captures the sun's rays at the time of sunrise. The Spanish, during the Inca conquest, believed that the Indians had found a fruit that contained gold, and the ingestion of the fruit would allow them to carry the gold within their bodies to a distant and secret place, which the Spaniards called "El Dorado."
----------------

So you might want to add this to your collection.

https://ocfruit.com/Lucuma.php

I have tasted the fruits from the Lúcuma de seda’ tree which was donated by David Silver (Papaya Tree Nursery) which is a 40yr old tree.
The fruit from Dan's tree is very similar if not the same as the Lúcuma de seda’. Both of the Lúcuma de seda’ trees at the arboretum and Dan's yard are huge, but fruit production is low, maybe a few dozen from what I see each year. The taste is excellent.

[70Malibu]

List has been updated: 10/10/25

Ok, if you sent me a message to get on the Advance Order list and you don't see your name below, please send me another message this week..

1. Reggiesveggies
2. SHV
3. RevivalR00ts
4. OKvid
5. Madridje
6. Kaz
7. Fruit Nut
8. elouicious
9. SD Dan
10.John M.


List is Closed. When I get more info on when I can go put the air layers on the tree, I will update those on the list.
If I don't have 10 advance orders, I will still do the 10 branches, then sell them and give the money for his scholarship fund.

[SHV]

I tasted a A. Chiri 'Inca Gold' fruit Kaz, sent me he want by opinion because I have a fruiting seedling of Inca Gold not sure of source but got my tree in 2002 at CRFG conference in Orange County but don't remember what city. Any way I tasted the 'Inca Gold' today and was very rich in butterscotch, caramel, flan type taste profile not as moist as sweet potato but not as dry as other dry type lucumas I grow. You can eat skin too with no disagreeable flavor fruit was maybe richer than my seedling fruit but very good I think best of Ice cream or smoothies. And only one small seed and another small misshapen seed. Very goo flesh to seed ratio highly recommend this variety.

That’s a pretty strong review by someone who knows his lucumas.  Glad I got on this list. I have been impressed with the lucumas I have tried in the past.  The flavor IMO was better than canistels I have eaten.

[70Malibu]

There are 2 canistels worth growing, the Bruce and Roger's PR, you will like these fruits.

Check out the size of the Bruce (Brian's fruits). The good thing about the Roger's PR is some fruits on the tree are smaller (ripe) than shown (1" to 1-1/2") and there are no seeds, and you can eat the skin. This is kind of like the Seedless Krueger avocado on this canistel tree.

[70Malibu]

Here's the Roger's PR (seedless fruits). I picked about 10-15 fruits from Mike's tree this year that were all smaller than 2" long. These smaller fruits on the tree never gets any larger, I monitored them until they fell off the tree. So, I picked these fruits from the tree when skin color was dark yellow, let it soften on the counter and cut open all of them. Guess what, no seeds, another seedless fruit. These seedless fruits are just as sweet as the full size fruits but no seeds so you eat them like candy. I didn't figure out which branches had the smaller ripe fruits, maybe next year I can try to graft only the seedless graft from the tree.





This could be a new find, "Seedless Roger's PR", sounds good doesn't it. I will need to raise the price to $20 each scion next year. You can put in your advance order now (ha-ha).