Annona montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Annona montana |
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Annona
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| Species: |
montana
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| Synonyms | |
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Annona marcgravii Mart. |
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Annona montana, also known as the mountain soursop, is a tasty fruit from the Annonaceae plant family. This fruit grows naturally in places like Central America, the Amazon rainforest, and islands in the Caribbean. Its fruits are full of fibers. Mountain soursop can also be used as a base plant (called a rootstock) for growing other types of Annona fruits.
Contents
What's in a Name?
Understanding "Annona Montana"
The scientific name montana comes from Latin. It means "from the mountains" or "mountainous." This tells us where this plant often grows.
Different Names for Mountain Soursop
People in different countries have many names for this fruit. Here are some of them:
- English: mountain soursop, mountain sop, wild soursop
- Czech: mountain soursop
- German: Schleimapfel
- Spanish: guanábana cimarrona, guanábana, guanábana de loma, guanábana de monte, guanábana de perro, taragus, turagua
- French: corossolier bâtard
- Guarani: araticu
- Hungarian: hegyi annóna
- Portuguese: araticum, araticum açú, araticum apé
- Slovak: anona
All About the Mountain Soursop Tree
How the Tree Looks
The mountain soursop tree is quite similar to the regular soursop tree (Annona muricata). However, the mountain soursop has branches that spread out more. Its leaves are also very shiny.
Growing Conditions and Fruit
This tree is a bit tougher than other soursop types. It can handle short periods of cold weather, even down to about -4 degrees Celsius (24 degrees Fahrenheit), once it's fully grown. It produces fruit all year long, which is great!
The fruits are almost perfectly round. They have a dark green skin covered with many short, soft spines. Each fruit can be about 15 centimeters (6 inches) long.
Taste and Uses
Inside, the fruit has yellow, stringy pulp. It smells very nice and has a sour and slightly bitter taste. The pulp contains many light-brown, plump seeds. People have also used this fruit in traditional medicine for a long time.
Where Mountain Soursop Grows Wild
Natural Habitat
Annona montana grows naturally in areas from sea level up to about 200 meters (650 feet) high.
Countries Where It's Found
You can find this plant growing wild in these places:
- Caribbean: West Indies
- Central America: Costa Rica, Panama
- South America: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil
- United States: Southern Florida
See also
In Spanish: Guanábano silvestre para niños
