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Annona muricata

Accession Count: 0
Common Name: soursop
Family Name: Annonaceae
Botanical Name: Annona muricata
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Characteristics: Annona muricata is a low-growing tree or shrub that only reaches 7.5-9 m in height, developing a rounded crown at maturity (1, 2). The form is bushy yet slender due to its upturned branches and straightened trunk, which possesses smooth dull-gray to grayish-brown bark (2). Young branchlets are hairy, while older bark roughens and fissures with age (2, 3). The leaves are leathery, pointed on both ends, and pungent with a foul-smelling odor (2, 4). Although the top of leaves are dark-brown and glossy, the underside is a lighter color and contains fine lateral nerves (2). From June to August, yellow-green flowers may form, being short-stalked, plump, and conical in shape, while emerging sporadically along the trunk, branches, and twigs (3, 5). Each flower contains three fleshy outer petals and three close-set inner petals, and appears on solitary stalks (4). Following the inflorescence will be the species’ iconic fruits – a dark green, oval or heart-shaped syncarp (aggregate fruit), that is also considered a pseudocarp (accessory fruit) (2, 3, 4). The fruits are covered in a thick, leathery skin from which flexible spines emerge, and will change color from dark-green to yellow-green when ripe (1). Fruits are contained in closely-packed segments, most of which are seedless, but some of which contain as many as 200 smooth, hard, black seeds (3).
Compound: Ann mur
Geographic Origin: American tropics
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Natural History: A. muricata was first described by Carl von Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 1753 (6). The genus, Annona, originates from the Greek anon, “yearly produce”, for the annual harvest of soursop fruits. The common name, “soursop”, originates from the acidic taste of the fruits (2).
The soursop tree is native to Central and South America, and has naturalized within the West Indies, and perhaps Mexico as well, being especially common in the Caribbean (7, 8). It occurs along coasts and slopes, naturalizing in thickets, pastures, and roads, as well as in rural volcanic and raised limestone-islands (2). However, the species has a history of spread and intentional introductions, being considered an invasive species by CenBIO, and an “agricultural weed” by the Global Compendium of Weeds. Yet, in a 2014 assessment conducted by Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk, A. muricata was not considered a major threat (7).
Cultivation Notes: Soursop is hardy in USDA zones 10b to 11 (35-40 °F) and is very frost tender, with damage occurring at  30°F and death at 26°F (9). As a result, A. muricata should only be planted in outdoor locations that do not experience frost, and that are sheltered from cold winds (5). Provide full sun to partial shade and a humid environment to recreate the plant’s native tropical conditions (5). The best growth will occur when planted in a rich, sandy, and loamy soil that is well-draining and kept at a pH of 5.5-6.5 (3, 10). However, average soils are tolerated, as are light, alkaline soils (5, 10).
The substrate should be kept moist – although plants are very drought tolerant when established, prolonged dry conditions will lead to leaf deciduousness – water moderately for the best growth (5, 10). Soursop can be propagated through shield-budding, cuttings, or from seed (3). If growing from seed, germinate on a damp paper towel or sow in containers that are kept moist and shaded (3, 9).
Ethnobotany: Annona muricata is well known for its many medicinal uses, possessing anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-arthritic, antiparasitic, antimalarial, anti-depressive, and antidiabetic properties (11, 12). Specifically, the fruits have been used to cure arthritis and fever, while both the seeds and fruit are capable of treating parasitic infections (13). The roots have also been used to treat parasitism, while the bark of roots can be used as an antidote for poisoning, and the pulverized immature fruits as a cure for dysentery (3). Other medicinal uses include but are not limited to the treatment of fever, headache, hypertension, heart problems, shock, anxiety, gall bladder issues, as a sedative, and to aid in childbirth (3, 10, 14). Yet perhaps the most famous ethnobotanical property of A. muricata is the plant’s use in the traditional treatment of cancer, being anti-tumoral and cytotoxic to cancer cells. In fact, the leaves of A. muricata are often dubbed “the cancer killer” for their broad use in natural cancer treatments (12). However, despite these properties, Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) warns against the use of soursop as a treatment for cancer, as its full effects have not been studied in humans (15).
Annona muricata is also used for a myriad of non-medicinal purposes. The presence of toxic alkaloids in the seeds allows them to be used as an irritant poison, causing severe eye inflammation (3). At the same time, soursop contains insecticidal and antilarval properties and has been used to destroy lice, bedbugs, worms, pea aphids, and black carpet beetles, while the fruit has also been used as bait to kill fish (3, 10). The wood can become a suitable fuel, be used in ox yokes, or living trees can be used for intercropping between larger trees (3, 10). Additionally, in the absence of other supplies, the bark can also used in tanning (3).
Lastly, soursop is often consumed – the young stems are cooked, while the fruits are either cooked or eaten raw, and corossol tea is created from the leaves (3). To create a delicious dessert, the fruits can be mixed with juice, yoghurt, or ice cream (14).
Height: 16 - 20 feet
Width: 11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season: Summer
Color: Yellow
Function: Habitat
Spread: Spreading
Allergen: Non-allergenic
Invasive: Benign
Toxicity: Toxic
Hardy: Tender
Water Use: Moderate Water Use
Citations:
  1. ENVIS Centre on Plants and Pollution. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  2. World Agroforestry. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  3. Purdue University Center for New Crops & Plant Products. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  4. National Parks Flora & Fauna Web. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  5. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  6. Tropicos. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  7. CABI Invasive Species Compendium. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  8. Sciencedirect: Annona muricata. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  9. Dave’s Garden. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  10. Plants for A Future. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  11. US National Library of Medicine Annona muricata (Annonaceae). Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  12. Sciencedirect, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  13. US National Library of Medicine Potential Benefits of Annona muricata in Combating Cancer: A Review. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  14. Eden Project. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
  15. Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Retrieved January 27th, 2021.
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Annona muricata