Native & adapted

Rollinia

Annona mucosa

Also known as Biribá · Lemon meringue fruit · Rollinia deliciosa

The most tropical of the annonas, with yellow, soft-spined fruit and sweet, lemony custard flesh. Best kept in a large pot that can move into shelter in winter.

EdibleFruitingContainer friendlyFrost tender

Landscape layersLower canopy

Mature size

10–15 ft tall and 8–10 ft wide in a pot or sheltered site

Climate fit

Urban core · USDA 9b–10a

Plant spacing

10 ft from other trees

Frost

Damaged at 32°F; killed by a hard frost.

Special categories

EDIBLE

Hardiness guidance

USDA 10b–11; damaged near 32°F

Winter chill

None

Typical harvest

Late summer into fall. Fruit turns yellow and softens when ripe and bruises easily.

Before you plant

These conditions determine whether it will thrive.

Soil chemistry

Fast-draining soil rich in compost. Phoenix soil is alkaline, so work in soil sulfur and organic matter and use chelated iron if new leaves turn yellow between the veins.

Required microclimate

Placement is part of the growing system.

Large container or the most sheltered courtyard, moved or covered on every frost night.

Cold hardiness

Cover on every frost night

Very frost sensitive: trees in southern Florida died at 26.5°F, and any frost damages it. Cover it or move it in every night forecast near freezing, which is why a large pot is the safer choice here.

Leaves and wood: damaged below 32°F

Heat tolerance

Needs afternoon shade

It is a tree of hot, humid lowlands and floodplains, so Phoenix's dry heat is a real stretch. Give it afternoon or filtered shade, wind shelter and constant moisture; there is no good desert data for it.

Sources:

hort.purdue.edu , tropical.theferns.info

Right plant, right place

Will Rollinia grow at your Arizona property?

Very frost tender and short of humidity in Phoenix. Treat as a container specimen.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a.

Light

Sun exposure

Morning sun with afternoon shade from June through September, such as the east side of a house or under a taller nurse tree. Protect from frost on winter nights.

Water

Irrigation

Moderate to high and steady; do not let it dry out.

Fruit set

Pollination

Self-fertile, but hand pollination improves fruit set.

Harvest

How to use it

Eat fresh with a spoon; it does not keep long.

Planting & stewardship

How to help Rollinia thrive

1
Grow in a 25-gallon or larger pot that can move under cover.
2
Shade from afternoon sun in summer.
3
Keep soil evenly moist.
4
Eat fruit within a day or two of picking.

Read the horticultural reference ↗