Saturday, May 12, 2007

Black Sapote (Diospyros digyna) in bloom


IMG_4920
Originally uploaded by z_kevino.
Also known as the Chocolate Pudding Fruit, the black sapote is one of my favorite fruits. Surprisingly enough, this tree is 6 years old, always flowers, but never sets fruit. Let's see how it does this year.
If it fruits, I'll write an entry about the fruit.

This tree has flowers which have both male and female organs, and others which are solely male. I assume this photo shows both types.

3 comments:

aier said...

i had a plant too but only blooms never fruiting. the flower also same as your photo. it grow from seed now is almost 10 years old. may be it only produce male flower.

aviphysio said...

I have a black sapote as well that is a few years old. Grows beautifully, and this is its second year flowering, but again, as in the first year, the flowers have started to fall off. We have similar conical blossoms, and the tubular flowers. I read a post that the female flowers are fuller and rounder. Does anyone out there have a photo of one?
Thanks!
Let us know if you ever get any fruit!

Amorim said...

About blooming:
Black sapote is usually dioecious, meaning that some trees produce only male flowers and no fruit and other trees produce female or bisexual flowers and fruit. Some trees may produce both male and female (or bisexual) flowers on the same tree.
Pollination:
Some trees may produce only male flowers. Male flowers are usually in clusters of 3 to 7, and female flowers are usually solitary. Flowers are white and tubular, with a green calyx and an 8- to 12-carpelled ovary. Flowers are pollinated by insects. Some varieties may be self-incompatible and therefore require cross pollination with another variety or seedling that produces male or bisexual flowers in order to produce fruit.