Wanted: Sugar Apple - Kampong Mauve in California?

[PltdWorld]

Is anyone growing this in SoCal?  Should it be grafted to cherimoya stock for best performance here?  Looking to purchase tree or scions.

Thanks in advance.

[cuban007]

Some of the local nurseries such as Mimosa and Champa have some Kampong Mauve SA's from Pine Island. My suggestion to you is don't waste your time on that cultivar. The ones that I've had were small and seedy. Wait for Noel to make his SA seeds available.

[PltdWorld]

Is it a red cultivar?  I would really like a red SA in my yard... headed to Rio very soon and hope to pick up plenty of seeds from various cultivars, but don't remember seeing any red in the markets/fruit stands there?

[kh0110]

Is it a red cultivar?  ...

Cuban007 was referring to FGM's Big Red.

[PltdWorld]

Is it a red cultivar?  ...

Cuban007 was referring to FGM's Big Red.

Doh  thanks for clarifying Thera!  I believe I have that grafted to the mother tree and hoping it takes... still need a couple more weeks to know for sure.  Between the kampong mauve and Big Red, the Big Red is the better cv then?

[kh0110]

I have yet to taste a Big Red but I trust the people here who have and especially FGM himself who confirmed that it is better than the Kampong Mauve in terms of general taste and production.


The problem with KM is that it is hard to find a good lineage of the tree as it does not come true from seeds. All the KM fruits that I've had outside of SE Asia are mediocre at best. Flesh to seed ratio is horrible.  So my speculation is that either it's the lineage of the KM and/or the rootstock on which it is grafted that influence greatly on the quality of the tree and fruits.

[Patrick]

I was under the impression that the Kampong Mauve was selected in Miami Florida at the Kampong..

[JF]

Check with Ethan about FGM's big red.

[edself65]

After 6 years of hardly any or not at all producing I gave my Kampong Mauve away. In my experience it was a total waste of time and effort! I grew it in Texas for 4 years and 2 years in Florida with the same results.

Thanks,

Ed

[PltdWorld]

Ethan - can you chime in on FGM's Big Red?

It's too bad that USDA germplasm project only has KM for a red SA, when it sounds like it is less desirable than others that are out there.

A member here generously gave me some sticks of various SA that I'm really hoping will take.  I have a very strange microclimate, but I believe the weather is finally becoming favorable for my anoonas. (The Cherimoyas have yet to push a full new leaf, and the mangoes are just starting to push flower.  In contrast, there has been lots of activity on the stone fruits and citrus).

[ofdsurfer]

I have tasted Noel's "big red" sugar apple and it is the best tasting sugar apple that I have tasted.  It had a raspberry cream taste in addition to the sugar apple flavor and had no grittiness.  I would highly recommend getting seeds from him later this summer.