Ashok,

Lucumas should do just fine in Concord. They are hardier than cherimoyas, but not as hardy as white sapote. They are quite tender in juvenile form, about on par with cherimoyas. They grow fast, but seedlings require a few years before they will begin to bear fruit.

Even though the plants are relatively hardy, plant in a sheltered location where they can survive our harder freezes. The cool, Bay area climate should offer few limitations outside of the occasional freeze, so plants should be productive, especially in the warmer Summer areas such as in Concord.

Mine has started blooming last year, but I still have not gotten any fruit. I grafted some mature fruit bearing scion wood onto it this Spring in order to get fruits sooner. I also have several seedlings that are growing quite fast.

I also have some advice on the babacos. If I see any rot on any of my highland papaya after unusually severe cold weather, I cut off the stem below the rot. Cutting the rot out locally usually doesn't work. If the rot is all the way at the bottom, then oh well, you'll just have to hope for new shoots from the roots.

I root my cuttings in a misting chamber with bottom heat. This process usually works quite well.

Axel

The above followup was added by Axel on March 21, 2002 at 4:00 am PST.

Hey guys
I don't have a whole thought of thoughts on hardiness, but I will say that Axel makes a very nice milkshake when you bring him lucuma. I'd decided after limited tasting that there was no point in growing these (quite dry as well as bland flavor eaten fresh), but Axel blended them into something that was pretty darn tasty, using (I think) milk and a touch of sugar. Friends from Peru have also told me that lucuma ice cream is awesome.
Anyway, Ashok, I don't have a lucuma plant, so this info is not from my personal experience. But I believe that they're less hardy than cherimoya, based on literature descriptions (eg, CRFG cultural data shows lucuma killed at 27F vs 25F for 'moya-- and 22F for white sapote). But of course this is a very general indication only. The plants I've seen in SoCal have done best in areas with significant warmth-- but not inland desert--and minimal temps below freezing. I'm not sure if they'll grow during cool conditions that cherimoyas can do fine in, so getting trees big enough quickly enough to withstand some cold may be a problem. The seed you've got was from fruit I picked in the Fallbrook area, in a spot that sees little frost on a nicely draining warm hillside.

But hey, I don't think many people have tried to grow the fruit in the ground up here in NorCal, and we all want you to try and succeed. And it sounds like you realize that even with some protection it may be a longshot. So definitely go for it and let us know how it works out. More people trying more seedlings in more places is a good way of finding things that can grow places others think are unlikely, plus it's always fun to push the envelope.

The above followup was added by Tom A. on March 21, 2002 at 8:44 pm PST.

Tom,

As part of the cold damage survey from this Winter's minor freeze, I visited one garden in Simi Valley with a large Lucuma and plenty of cherimoyas. Every single cherimoya was defoliated, or at least severely burnt.

The lucuma was unphased by the cold, not widthstanding an occasional burned tip on individual leaves, and loaded with fruit. The lucuma was not growing in a protected location. It was way too big to even protect. Yet the leaves were a healthy, dark green.

Lucumas also grow in the same conditions as cherimoyas. In fact, according to the Lost Crops of the Incas, cherimoyas require much more heat than Lucumas. Large lucuma trees can be found up to 3,000 meters in the Andes. From personal experience, the lucuma grows almost as vigorously as capulin cherries in cool, 60-70F Summer conditions. In Half Moon Bay, the lucuma was growing like a weed.

My conclusion is that lucumas are definitely hardier than cherimoyas, unless young. Young lucumas get hurt by temperatures of 29F. And they are quite well adapted to the cooler Bay area conditions. Of course, time will tell. My trees are going in the ground this Spring. The biggest specimen I have in a 35 gallon pot was blooming last fall.

Axel

The above followup was added by Axel on March 21, 2002 at 9:24 pm PST.

They definatly are more cool tollerant than cherimoyas, for example, here young cherimoyas lose their growing tips during the winter, but little Lucuma's GROW fast during the winter and never get any damage, infact they don't grow in the summer for me because I guess it's too dry. Growing in the winter with 13c max days is quite amazing really. I'm sure if I started with seeds of green sapote instead of a stupid stunted plant from a pot I would have them growing well in the winter just like the lucuma does

Jason

The above followup was added by Jason on March 22, 2002 at 4:43 am PST.

Tom and Axel:

Thanks for your thoughts. I guess I'll have to be the one to "push the envelope" on this plant. (Assuming, of course, that the seeds sprout, that I can actually find a spot in the garden to place the seedlings, that they grow enough to survive the first winter, etc.)

Now what I had *really* hoped for was a message from some person living in, say, Santa Rosa or Walnut Creek indicating that they had a Lucuma plant that had been thriving in the ground for 15 years. You see, when it comes to explorations charting the boundary between reasonable experimentation and "zone denial" I think that I'd rather be a follower than a leader!

It is, however, quite useful to hear that plants are growing well above Santa Cruz. While your (Axel's) climate is probably considerably more frost-benign than the Concord climate, winter conditions there are still much more comparable to those in Concord than those prevailing in coastal San Diego county (where the seed came from).

I also just put two small Cherimoya seedlings (propagated by Tom A.) in the ground, in planting holes enriched with large quantities of vermicompost. I'm hoping that they will grow quickly enough this season to attain a size that may allow them to survive next winter. This is another plant that nobody (posting on the Cloudforest forum, anyway) seems to be growing anywhere nearby. Yet more (possibly quixotic) "envelope pushing" ...

But of course I'd much rather have the cherimoyas succeed than lucumas!

Ashok

The above followup was added by Ashok on March 22, 2002 at 5:08 am PST.

You posted just as I did my followup!

The above followup was added by Ashok on March 22, 2002 at 5:17 am PST.

Jason is right, the lucuma grows very quickly. It's a great plant for the Bay area. Granted, it would need some protection on real cold years, but not as much as cherimoyas.

As compared to palms, a cherimoya is about as hardy as a majesty palm. A lucuma is about as hardy as a rhopalistylis. And a white sapote is about as hardy as a parajubaea cocoides.

Tom, a lucuma would do great in your climate. You should try growing one. The lucuma milkshakes and ice cream is incredible, not to mention the tree is very tropical looking.

Axel

The above followup was added by Axel on March 22, 2002 at 6:28 am PST.

I just wanted to say that they germinate about the same speed and they both like to grow when it's real wet and both grow about the same speed. In these ways if not looks too they are similar, I guess the Loquat can take more cold but my climate isn't harsh enough to damage either even as germated seed sized plants so I don't know about that but It can definatly take 0c without damage! no I need to make another post here while I remember

Jason

The above followup was added by Jason on March 22, 2002 at 10:21 am PST.

i kept reading the messages on this site to see if anyone would say how they "sprouted" the lucuma seed. i got some from relatives in peru 4 or5 years ago(along with a few other kinds) and i can't remember if i did it like an avocado(with toothpicks&water) or if i did soil first. of my four seeds-three died but the other is now an 8 foot tub plant that lives in the family room during winter(lafayette, ca. bay area) and outside in part. shade in summer.so if someone would remind me of the best way to root the seed- thanks.

The above followup was added by lyn azalde on June 07, 2002 at 9:10 pm PST.

just to say that my lucuma is always going to stay in a tub. i live near walnut creek, ca. and this year alone we have lost 7!! camilla plants to the gophers-one was over30 years old. and of course, they killed the fig. so any plant that takes as long as lucuma stays in a pot... how big a pot would it need after it was grown, so to speak? can they be kept pruned without getting mad?

The above followup was added by lyn azalde on June 13, 2002 at 2:54 am PST.

Lucuma ice cream is great! My sister just got some Lucuma seeds from Peru. One of the seeds started rooting while inside the fruit. I would say to put it in a wet paper towel inside of a cup until it roots the seed is to hard to puncture with a toothpick the avacado seed is soft. I would like to know when you can put the plant in sunlight with out it dying? I would also like to know if the lucuma needs a mating tree like an avocado tree? If anyone is interested they sell dehydrated lucuma powder for icecream or shakes @ macamojo.com click on fine products from Peru

please email me @ beauty_81@yahoo.com

The above followup was added by Caryn on July 07, 2003 at 2:51 am PST.

Does anybody know where can I found some?

The above followup was added by Romina on May 07, 2004 at 2:50 pm PST.

actually i got my lucuma seeds from chile! you could get them at a website or something. im going to try to plant mine in spain. if anyone has anyu sugestions tell me please!!! i love lucume! in southe america u can eat it ice creamed or... squish it sit a fork until you get a kind of paste then put melted manjar or dulce de leche on it mix an enjoy. sounds nasty but its delicious

The above followup was added by andres on August 11, 2004 at 3:32 am PST.

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The above followup was added by jack on August 14, 2004 at 12:30 am PST.

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The above followup was added by hihi on August 14, 2004 at 12:31 am PST.

I went to a restaurant in San Mateo which serves Lucume icrecream and Chicha. I had never tried either and they were delicious. What kind of maize do they use for chicha?

The above followup was added by newbie on March 29, 2005 at 4:57 pm PST.

Please if someone knows how to sprout tha lucuma seeds, I brought 2 from Peru, I had them on wet paper towels, but I do not know if I am doing right. I also brought some pacay seeds, they germinated, i had two in pots and two in the ground, I'll check which one does better. Please help me with the Lucuma., Thanks, Charo

The above followup was added by Charo on September 11, 2005 at 5:40 pm PST.