After the arrival of the Spaniards in the Americas, Annona species spread throughout the tropics. Guanábana trees are widespread in frost-free tropical and subtropical regions around the world and are found in the West Indies, North and South America, lowlands of Africa, Pacific islands, and Southeast Asia.
A Delicious Fruit
The fruit of guanábana and other parts of the tree are considered underutilized. Information about the composition, nutritional value, medicinal uses, and toxicology of the fruit and the plant is limited and scattered.
Various species have different climatic requirements for fruit development and ripening.
Excessively low temperatures during the fruit ripening period can delay the process, while excessively high temperatures can cause premature ripening and fermentation of the fruit while still on the tree.
International Cultivation
For example, Annona cultivars grown in cool subtropical regions of Ecuador or New Zealand may not ripen properly.
In these regions, the main cultivated commercial species is custard apple. Conversely, custard apples grown in tropical climates often do not develop their full flavor, and their post-harvest shelf life is short.
In addition to temperature's influence on fruit ripening, physiological disorders such as skin reddening are more common under cool night temperatures, especially when environmental temperatures drop below certain levels.
