University of Florida Plant Information Sapodilla Growing in the Florida Home Landscape

HS1

Scientific name: Manilkara zapota

Common names: English—naseberry, chikoo, chiku, dilly. Spanish—chicle, chicozapote, níspero, zapote, zapotillo.

Scientific name synonyms: Manilkara achras, Achras sapota, A. zapota, Sapota achras

Family: Sapotaceae

Relatives in same family: mamey sapote, canistel, caimito, lucumo, green sapote, abiu, satin leaf.

Origin: Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula) and Central America

Distribution: The United States, Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Importance: Sapodillas are extensively planted and consumed locally in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, India, and some Asiatic countries.

Invasive potential: Sapodilla has been assessed by the IFAS Invasive Plants Working Group as invasive in south and central Florida and is not recommended by UF/IFAS for planting. For more information see: Fox, A. M., D. R. Gordon, J. A. Dusky, L. Tyson, and R. K. Stocker, (2005) UF/IFAS Assessment of the Status of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas [Cited from the internet (November 2016) at http://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/].