Best Dual Purpose Sapodilla? (Shade/Ornamental and Fruit)

[johnb51]

Anyone have an opinion as to which sapodilla variety would be best for its fruit quality combined with its attractiveness and size as an ornamental specimen tree for a front yard?  Should I go with Alano (which I've grown before), or is there something better?  Anything that Excalibur sells?

[Mike T]

In the trials of around 25 varieties at Kamerunga in Cairns one variety stood out in terms of productivity, lack of grit , flavour and also for multiple crops each year. No indian variety stacked up, sawo manila was ok, but varieties like tropical, ponderosa, brown sugar and old common ones faired poorly. That variety was krasuey. One particular trial included the following BKD 110, Brown Sugar, C54, C55, C58, Foster, H C Tan, Kai Hahn, Krasuey, Kulbaba, Lamao, Makok, Makok See Gaa, Martin, Mead, Modella, Pineras, Ponderosa, Prolific, Sawo Manila, Tikal and Tropical. I am sure some of the newer Floridian and Mexican types would fair better.

[skhan]

They're pretty slow growers.
I still like Alano the best out of what I sampled.
Having a super long season is nice for a homeowner but I could see that being a headache for a front yard shade tree.

[bsbullie]

Unless you limb up the lower branches, which I dont recommend,  its not really a shade tree (growth habit is not really formal canopy-like).  Once they get going, they are very ornamental and make a great specimen tree

As far as varieties,  Alano, Moreno and Butterscotch  (will probably need to go to Als Fruit Trees in Miami for the Butterscotch).  I have seen some very productive Excalibur Sapodilla (they variety 'Excalibur') and quality seems to be very good.  I would stay away from Silas Woods (smaller tree, less of the brown sugar flavor and prone to limb snappage) and Makok (smaller tree and very small fruit size with inconsistent quality).

[johnb51]

I didn't find Alano to be particularly slow-growing.  In eight years it got to be a decent tree--much taller than the Pickering mango.  I have to do some guerilla gardening where we recently moved--a seniors' community with an all-powerful HOA.  The current board passed stringent landscaping regulations.  They've basically outlawed new fruit trees, which is a joke since there are about a dozen mango trees within a five-minute walk from my house.  Mature trees.  Hopefully a few have decent fruit.  There's also a humungous lychee tree, which is blooming now.  Whatever I plant I'll have to lie and call a non-fruit-bearing ornamental.  Besides the sapodilla, which will be some distance from my house, I'm aiming for a couple guanabana, jaboticabas, and some banana plants.  By the time they catch on (which will probably be never) they'll be busy persecuting residents on other issues!

I know what you're saying about the lower branches, Rob, but yeah, they are attractive trees.