Description: PLEASE NOTE THAT I PREFER NOT TO SHIP TO HAWAII, PUERTO RICO, OR INTERNATIONALLY DUE TO THE RISK OF THE PLANT NOT SURVIVING THE JOURNEY. IF YOU WISH TO COVER THE COST OF EXPEDITED SHIPPING YOU CAN MESSAGE ME AND WE CAN DISCUSS OPTIONS BUT I CAN NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR LOSSES DUE TO USPS OR OTHER SHIPPING CARRIER SERVICES THAT DO NOT DELIVER ON TIME RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF YOUR SEEDLING(S) ****DISCOUNTED 6$ SAVINGS**** BLACK SAPOTE GOES BY MULTIPLE DIFFERENT NAMES DEPENDING ON THE COUNTRY WHERE IT IS FOUND. IN THE US IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS BLACK PERSIMMON AND IS ACTUALLY RELATED TO BOTH THE PERSIMMON AND THE VELVET APPLE. IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES IT CAN BE KNOWN AS SAPOTE NEGRO, MATASANO DE MICO, AND ZAPOTE PRIETO. THE TREE IS AN EVERGREEN, DIOECIOUS TROPICAL TO SUB-TROPICAL FRUITING TREE THAT THRIVES IN WARMER CLIMATES FROM SEA LEVEL UP TO 6000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. IT IS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT TROPICAL AND SUB-TROPICAL LATIN AMERICA, THE PHILIPPINES, MOLUCCAS ISLANDS, SULAWESI ISLAND AND NORTH AMERICA. BLACK SAPOTE IS MOST LIKELY A NATIVE OF FORESTED LOWLANDS OF CENTRAL AMERICA, WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA AND MEXICO. IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE SPANISH TO THE PHILIPPINES, EVENTUALLY MAKING ITS WAY TO HAWAII, FLORIDA AND CALIFORNIA WHERE IT IS CULTIVATED ON A SMALLER SCALE COMPARED TO MEXICO AND GUATEMALA WHERE IT IS MORE WIDELY GROWN AND CULTIVATED. IN SOUTH FLORIDA, THE TREE IS OFTEN SEEN IN HOME GARDENS AND CAN SOMETIMES BE FOUND IN SMALL COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS. THE FRUIT OF BLACK SAPOTE IS, PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL FRUITS OF ITS KIND. IT IS CONSIDERED A BERRY THAT GROWS UP TO ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE SKIN IS SMOOTHE WITH A SHINY GREEN SKIN THAT BECOMES MORE DULL AND TAKES ON A GREEN/BROWN HUE WHEN THE FRUIT IS RIPE AND READY FOR HARVESTING. UP TO 4 HARD FLAT SEEDS CAN BE FOUND INSIDE THE FRUIT WHICH IS USUALLY HARVESTED GREEN THEN ALLOWED TO RIPEN ON EITHER A SUNNY WINDOW SILL OR OTHER WARM AREA. WHEN FULLY RIPENED, THE FRUIT IS SOFT AND GIVES WHEN SQUEEZED. THE INNER FLESH IS PUDDING LIKE, WITH A DARK BROWN TO BLACK COLOR. BLACK SAPOTE IS TYPICALLY EATEN FRESH OR CAN BE MADE INTO A MILK SHAKE WITH MILK AND SUGAR OR BLENDED WITH ICE CREAM. THE FLAVOR IS SWEET, MOST PEOPLE AGREE THAT THE TASTE IS VERY MUCH REMINISCENT OF CHOCOLATE PUDDING CLIMATE: BLACK SAPOTE THRIVES BEST IN WARM TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL AREAS, TOLERANT FROM SEA LEVEL UP TO AS MUCH AS 6,000 FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL. BLACK SAPOTE WILL NOT TOLERATE COLD TEMPS THAT DROP BELOW 30 F (-1 C). MATURE TREES ARE TOLERANT OF FLOOD BUT DO NOT TOLERATE LONG PERIODS OF DROUGHT. TREES ARE MODERATELY TOLERANT OF WINDY AREAS AND HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO WITHSTAND GALE/HURRICANE WINDS IF KEPT PRUNED WITH AN OPEN CANOPY AND LIMITED HEIGHT. WATERING/IRRIGATION: TREES THAT ARE NEWLY PLANTED SHOULD BE WATERED EVERY OTHER DAY FOR AT LEAST 1 TO 2 WEEKS THEN 1 TO 2 TIMES PER WEEK FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST 2 TO 3 MONTHS ESPECIALLY IF YOUR AREA RECEIVES LIMITED RAIN. IN AREAS THAT EXPERIENCE DROUGHT LIKE CONDITIONS, BLACK SAPOTE WILL REQUIRE WEEKLY IRRIGATION UNTIL YOUR TREE IS WELL ESTABLISHED. IRRIGATION CAN THEN BE DECREASED OR COMPLETELY TERMINATED ONCE THE RAINY SEASON ARRIVES. MATURE TREES DO NOT NEED FREQUENT WATERING UNLESS YOUR AREA IS EXPERIENCING SEVERE DROUGHT. SUNLIGHT: A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 5 HOURS OF MORNING TO AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT FOLLOWED BY LATE AFTERNOON SHADED CONDITIONS PROVIDES THE BEST SUN EXPOSURE IN ORDER TO PREVENT INTENSE SUNLIGHT WHICH CAN RESULT IN LEAF BURN OF YOUR TREE. I RECOMMEND GROWING YOUR SEEDLING IN A 3 GAL PLASTIC NURSERY CONTAINER UNTIL YOUR TREE IS AT LEAST 4 TO 5 FEET TALL THEN TRANSFERING TO YOUR GARDEN LOCATION OF CHOICE. TREES THAT ARE MORE MATURE CAN TOLERATE MORE INTENSE SUNLIGHT AND WILL HAVE LESS CHANCES OF LEAF BURN. YOUNGER TREES SHOULD ALWAYS BE GROWN IN PARTLY SHADED CONDITIONS. SOIL: BLACK SAPOTE TREES WILL THRIVE IN RICH FERTILE WELL DRAINING SOIL. OTHERWISE, A SANDY LOAM WILL SUFFICE. IN GENERAL, THIS FRUIT TREE CAN TOLERATE DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES BUT PREFERS SOIL WITH A PH FROM MILDLY ACIDIC TO NEUTRAL PH'S FROM 5.5 TO 7.0. HERE IN FLORIDA, BLACK SAPOTE DOES WELL EVEN IN OUR MORE ALKALINE SOILS WHICH DEMONSTRATES THAT THIS IS A FRUIT TREE THAT IS VERY ADAPTABLE TO A RANGE OF SOIL TYPES. FERTILIZER: BLACK SAPOTE DOES NOT DEMAND FERTILIZER, ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE BENEFICIAL AFTER PLANTING ONCE NEW GROWTH (NEW YOUNG LEAVES) BECOMES VISIBLE. A YOUNG TREE WILL ONLY NEED ABOUT 1/4LB OF A FERTILIZER SUCH AS 6-6-6-2 THAT ALSO HAS TRACE MINERALS. THIS APPLICATION CAN BE REPEATED EVERY 6 TO 8 WEEKS FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF GROWTH. A GRADUAL INCREASE BY 1/4 LB OF FERTILIZER AS THE TREE CONTINUES TO GROW IS ACCEPTABLE AFTER THE FIRST YEAR OF GROWTH. I make every effort to ship plants as soon as payment is received. I do not provide hot packs so be mindful of cold temperatures in your area. This evergreen perennial tolerates mild cooler temperatures no lower than 40 F. If you are in colder zones you may want to wait at the mailbox if you order if you don't want your plant to freeze!! I ship all of my plants via USPS 2 to 3 day delivery but unfortunately, sometimes the postal service does not deliver on time and packages do sometimes get lost. Unfortunately, this is something that is out of my control. If your plant arrives damaged beyond saving, please message me with pictures of both your package and plant immediately so that I may correct the problem as soon as possible. There is no need to leave negative feedback as I always try to answer questions or concerns on a very timely basis, sometimes within minutes of being messaged. Your satisfaction is my greatest concern and I will do everything possible to make things right.
Price: 67 USD
Location: Cape Coral, Florida
End Time: 2024-10-13T23:01:59.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Climate: Humid Subtropical, Sub-tropical, Tropical
Common Name: CHOCOLATE PUDDING FRUIT/BLACK SAPOTE/SAPOTE NEGRO
Indoor/Outdoor: Outdoor
Growth Habit: UPRIGHT FROM 25 TO 40 FT IN IDEAL CONDITIONS.
Soil Type: NOT FUSSY/PREFERS WELL DRAINING SANDY OR CALCAREOUS SOILS
Brand: Tree
Soil pH: SLIGHTLY ACIDIC TO SLIGHTLY ALKALINE BUT TOLERANT OF ALKALINITY
Plant Form: MATURE SEEDLING
Type: Fruits & Fruit Trees
Watering: MEDIUM REGULAR WATERING THE FIRST YEAR/MORE IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS
Growth Stage: Seedling
Genus: DIOSPYROS
Growth Rate: INITIALLY SLOW GROWTH FOR THE FIRST 3 TO 4 YRS THEN SPEEDS UP.
Sunlight: Full Sun, Medium Sun, A MINIMUM OF AT LEAST 5 HRS OF MORNING SUN FOLLOWED BY PART SHADE
Foliage: simple, leathery, elliptic to oblong, tapered at the edges, brigh