Caimito

The inside and the outside of the fruit

Origin:

West Indies and Central America.

Distribution:

Caimito is found throughout the Caribbean Region, Central America, northern South America, Australia, and some countries of Southeast Asia and Africa.

Tree:

Caimito trees are medium to large trees, 25 to 100 ft tall (7.9 to 30.5 m) with a round to oval canopy. Branches have a weeping growth habit.

Leaves:

The leaves are alternate, elliptic, 2 to 6 inches long (5-15 cm), slightly leathery, shiny green on the upper surface and golden-brown on the lower surface.

Fruit:

Fruit may be round to oblate to ellipsoid and 2 to 4 inches in diameter (5-10 cm). The peel may be red-purple, dark-purple, or pale-green. It is smooth, glossy, and leathery. In purple fruits, the inner rind is dark purple, and in green fruits, white.

The pulp is white, soft, and milky surrounding 6 to 11 seeds. The seeds are contained in rubbery seed cells, and each seed is surrounded by a gelatinous pulp. When the fruit is cut transversely, the seed cells are seen to radiate outwardly from a central core, producing a star-shaped pattern.

Caimito Tree

Pollination:

Some seedlings and cultivars (e.g., ‘Haitian Star’ and ‘Blanco Star’) do not need cross pollination to set fruit. However, some seedlings require cross pollination in order to set fruit.

Climate:

Caimito is best adapted to hot and lowland tropical climates but will grow in warm. Trees exposed to air temperatures of about 40°F (4°C) accompanied by strong winds may defoliate.

Young trees have limited cold tolerance and are damaged or killed at 31 to 32°F (-0.6 to 0°C). On mature trees, leaf and twig damage may occur at 28 to 29°F (-1.6 to -2.2°C), and large branches and trunk damage may occur at 26°F (-3.3°C). Mature trees may be killed when exposed to temperatures in the low 20s°F (-4 to -6°C).

Propagation:

Caimito may be propagated by seed, grafting, budding, and air-layering. Seedling trees bear in 5 to 10 years, whereas vegetatively propagated trees may begin fruit production in 1 to 2 years. Grafting caimito onto satin leaf (C. oliviforme) is reported to produce slow-growing, dwarf trees.

Production (Crop Yields):

Caimito bloom from August to October in Florida, and fruit are generally harvested from February to May. Fruit production figures for caimito do not exist. However, large mature trees have been reported to bear up to 150 lbs (68 kg) of fruit.

Spacing:

Caimito trees should be planted at least 25 ft (7.6 m) from nearby trees and structures because mature trees not regularly pruned may become quite large.

Soils:

Caimito trees are adapted to fertile, well-drained soils, including the low and high-pH sandy soils and the high-pH, rocky, calcareous soils found in south Florida.

Fertilizer:

Young trees should be fertilized every 1 to 2 months during the first year, beginning with 1/4 lb (114 g) of fertilizer and increasing to 1 lb (455 g) per tree (Table 2). Thereafter, 3 or 4 applications per year in amounts proportionate to the increasing size of the tree are sufficient but, not to exceed 20 lbs per tree per year.

From spring through summer, trees should receive 3 to 4 annual nutritional sprays of copper, zinc, manganese, and boron for the first 4 to 5 years. Caimito trees are susceptible to iron deficiency under alkaline and high-pH soil conditions. Iron deficiency can be prevented or corrected by periodic soil applications of iron chelates formulated for alkaline and high soil pH conditions. Periodic applications of ferrous (iron) sulfate may be made to trees growing in low-pH soils.

The flower of the caimito

Irrigation (Watering):

Newly planted caimito trees should be watered at planting and every other day for the first week or so and then 1 to 2 times a week for the first couple of months. During prolonged dry periods (e.g., 5 or more days of little to no rainfall), newly planted and young caimito trees (first 3 years) should be well watered twice a week. Once the rainy season arrives, irrigation frequency may be reduced or stopped.

Once caimito trees are 4 or more years old, irrigation will be beneficial to plant growth and crop yields during prolonged dry periods. The specific water requirements for mature trees have not been determined.

However, as with other tree crops, the period from bloom and through fruit development is important, and drought stress should be avoided at this time with periodic watering.

Pruning:

Young caimito trees should be trained to form 3 to 5 main scaffold limbs during the first 2 to 3 years after planting. Mature trees should be maintained at 8 to 12 ft (2.4-3.7 m) by annual selective removal of poorly placed and upright limbs.

Insect Pests and Diseases:

In general, caimito trees have few insect pest problems. However, trees should be inspected regularly and treated for insect problems when they occur.

The foliage, stems, and limbs may be attacked by red algae (Cephaleuros virescens), causing stem and limb dieback. Leaves may also be attacked by various fungi (Phomopsis sp. and Phyllosticta sp.). Fruit may also be attacked, causing it to dry-rot (mummify) and be held on the tree. Please contact your local county cooperative extension agent for current control recommendations.

Harvest, Ripening, and Storage:

Fruit do not fall when ripe and therefore must be harvested by hand when fully mature. Fruit should be clipped from the stem because pulling the fruit off by hand may damage the peel next to the fruit stem (peduncle), which may lead to fruit rot. Fruit are fully mature when the skin color turns a dull color (purple or green) and is slightly wrinkled and soft.

Immature fruit will be astringent and inedible due to the gummy latex found in the flesh. The peel and rind of ripe caimito are inedible. Cutting the fruit transversely and then gently separating the two halves is an easy way to open the fruit. The pulp then may be spooned out, leaving the inedible rubbery seed-cells, seeds, and core.

Once mature fruit are picked, they may be allowed to fully ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, fruit may be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator until consumed.

Authors: Jonathan H. Crane and Carlos F. Balerdi