University of Florida Plant Information Ackee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
HS1128
Scientific Name: Blighia sapida
Common Names: ackee, akee, achee, vegetable brains
Family: Sapindaceae
Relatives: lychee, longan, rambutan
Origin: Indigenous to the Ivory Coast and Gold Coast of West tropical Africa.
Distribution: Trees may also be found in many Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Bahamas), Central America (e.g., Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala), South America (Brazil, Venezuela, Surinam, Colombia, Ecuador), as well as the United States, (Florida).
History: The species was brought to Jamaica in 1793 by Captain Bligh and is now naturalized throughout that country.