Annona glabra is a tropical fruit tree in the family Annonaceae, in the same genus as the soursop and cherimoya. Common names include pond apple, alligator apple (so called because American alligators often eat the fruit), swamp apple, corkwood, bobwood, and monkey apple. [2] .

Major pond apple forests along the southern rim of Lake Okeechobee were destroyed for agriculture early in the 20th century. In Australia, pond apple is a Weed of National Significance. It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts.

Pond apple is a host plant for the giant sphinx moth (which also happens to be a pollinator for ghost orchids). Pond apple is used in landscaping, but it has two major drawbacks — the need for wet soil limits where it can be planted, and the fruit, when it drops can be a bit of a mess.

Annona glabra (Pond Apple) is a small to medium deciduous tree with a rounded, spreading crown and a short, buttressed trunk. The thick, shiny leaves, 3-6 in. (7-15 cm) are alternate, oblong-elliptical, dark green above and pale beneath, with …

Plant database entry for Pond Apple (Annona glabra) with 7 images and 38 data details.

Sep 8, 2021 · The pond apple’s creamy-white flowers with red centers are comprised of three thick outer petals and three thinner inner petals. The pond apple gets its name from its fruits, which appear in early summer, and ripen by fall in shades of yellow to light green with brown spots, becoming the size of a typical apple.

Jun 28, 2018 · Flowering occurs mostly during summer. The fruit are very large spherical or elongated, 5-15 cm in diameter, looking like a smooth-skinned custard apple. They are initially green in color turning to yellow or orange when ripe and then black as they decay.

Jan 24, 2020 · Pond Apple is best planted as a large shrub or small tree in wet areas where little else would thrive. It makes a good screen in a sunny or partially shaded location. Foliage is shiny and quite attractive on this little known plant native to wetlands.

Flowers: The three-part buds give rise to white or light yellow flowers with six petals that are seen from spring into summer. Fruits: Large, apple-like, to 15 cm long, green, ripening to yellow, edible; late summer to fall, persisting on the tree into winter.

Pond Apple is a tropical fruit tree commonly found in the Florida everglades. It is sometimes called alligator fruit because alligators will eat its fruit, which tastes like mild cantaloupe. In other countries, this tree is considered an invasive weed.