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Plants

soursop

Annona muricata L.

Family: Annonaceae · Genus: Annona

guanábana, graviola

Secondary I High No biomass production
Francisco Farriols Sarabia · CC BY · iNaturalist

Tropical fruit with sweet-tart white pulp and well-documented medicinal properties. Pasini lists it in the high stratum of Tabela 3. Native to Amazonia and the Antilles; widely cultivated in agroforestry systems of northern and northeastern Brazil.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Secondary I
Ecological role
Early secondary
Primary stratum
High
Strata
High, Medium
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Soil pH range
5.5–6.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy, Clayey
Hardiness zones
10–12
Frost tolerance
-1.0 °C

Morphology

Mature height
4–9 m
Recommended spacing
4–8 m
Root system
Lateral
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Fast
Time to first harvest
36 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Soursop takes the High stratum in the Secondary I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High · ≈9 m Medium Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Tree to 7–9 m with a shallow root system, needing mulch/ground cover to prevent desiccation in dry spells. Ideal pH 5.5–6.5 (limed to ~6.0–6.5 in Brazil). Very cold-sensitive: leaf damage below 5 °C and death below ~3 °C. Common spacing 4 m between plants × 8 m between rows. Manual pollination greatly improves fruit set. Production begins around the 3rd year.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: January, February, August, September, October, November, December

Fruiting months: January, February, March, August, September, December

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of soursop?

The first harvest of soursop comes around 36 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for soursop?

The recommended spacing for soursop is 4–8 m.

How tall does soursop grow?

At maturity, soursop reaches 4–9 m tall.

When does soursop fruit?

Fruiting of soursop occurs in January, February, March, August, September, December.

When does soursop flower?

Flowering of soursop occurs in January, February, August, September, October, November, December.

What stage and stratum does soursop occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, soursop belongs to the secondary i stage, occupying the high stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit Medicinal

Propagation

Seed, Grafting

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
  2. PFAF Plant Database — Annona muricata (Sour Sop) (ph_min, ph_max, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, root_system, root_depth, soil_texture_preference, light_need, height_max_m, propagation)
  3. Soursop — Wikipedia (frost_tolerance_c, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max)
  4. Embrapa — A cultura da gravioleira (Annona muricata L.) (ph_min, ph_max, spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, time_to_first_harvest_months, root_system, cultivation_notes)
  5. Embrapa Amazônia Oriental — Caracterização de aspectos fenológicos da espécie Annona muricata L. (phenology)
  6. GBIF — Annona muricata L. (external_ids)
  7. Wikidata — Annona muricata (Q1709343) (external_ids)

External references

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