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Pond apple
Pond apple fruit
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Pond apple
General information
Pond apple (Annona glabra) (also known as Cherimoya) is a native of tropical North, Central and South America and West Africa where it occurs in fresh and brackish swamplands. In 1912 pond apple was introduced to Australia as grafting stock for commercially grown custard apple.
In its native America, pond apple fruit has some commercial use. The wood and roots are very light and are used as a substitute for cork floats.
Pond apple is a declared Class 2 plant under Queensland legislation and a Weed of National Significance (WONS).
| Scientific name |
Annona glabra |
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Impacts |
- invades fresh, brackish and saltwater areas
- forms dense stands in swamp areas, thickets capable of replacing ecosystems
- melaleuca wetlands, Heritiera littoralis mangrove communities, riparian areas, drainage lines, coastal dunes and islands most at risk
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| Description |
- a semi-deciduous tree, grows to 3-6 m in height, can reach up to 15 m
- has softwood stems with a thin grey bark bearing prominent lenticels
- leaves are alternate, 7-12 cm long with a prominent midrib
- leaves vary from light to dark green
- when crushed, leaves emit a distinct smell, similar to green apples
- pale yellow to cream with red inner base flowers that consist of 3 leathery outer petals and 3 smaller inner petals
- flowers are short-lived, rarely noticed and 2-3 cm in diameter
- has green spherical fruit about 5-15 cm in diameter, and which looks like a smooth-skinned custard apple
- each fruit contains 100-200 seeds of similar size and shape to pumpkin seed
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| Habitat and distribution |
- covers around 2000 ha of the wet tropics bioregion of Queensland and between Cardwell and Cooktown
- found in Brisbane, northern New South Wales, north to Cape York and the Torres Strait
- requires moist soil with regular inundations of fresh to brackish water
- seeds and fruit easily dispersed by water and animals
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| Control |
- control during the dry season is most effective
- herbicide control varies depending on different situations
- a combined approach of different control methods including chemical, mechanical, fire and herbicide integrated with land management practices is most effective
- see pond apple fact sheet for further information
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| Declaration details |
- a declared Class 2 species under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
- control of declared pests is required by landholders
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| Further information |
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