The Swamp Apple

Have you ever had a Swamp Apple?

This is Annona glabra, a wild, North American tropical fruit that I didn’t know existed until I found one last week! I’ve spent a lot of time in South Florida over the years, yet had never heard of this large and delicious fruit!

While hunting pythons on the small “islands” along the canals of the Everglades, I came across a specimen lying on the ground in the beam of my headlamp. From its appearance (and despite its golden, rather than creamy-white flesh) I immediately recognized it as a member of the Annonaceae family — which includes sugar apple, soursop, cherimoya, atemoya, pawpaw, and, if it gives you any sense of their incredible fragrance, ylang-ylang too.

While my guide — Mike Kimmel the Python Cowboy — thought I was crazy for doing it (of course, crazy is relative, coming from a python hunter), I picked it up and started eating. “It’s a swamp apple,” he told me. The aroma was sweet and apple-scented, with a floral bouquet and a ripe honeydew melon flavor reminiscent of the rest of the family (though more like cherimoya than pawpaw or soursop).

Once I saw the tree itself — which is native to South Florida and thrives in wet environments — I realized they were all around me. Their large, ripening fruits — which are purportedly enjoyed by alligators, earning it the alias “alligator apple” — were hanging precariously over the water of the canals.

“Why haven’t I heard of this fruit?” I asked myself. Pawpaw fanatics will tell you that no other tropical fruit is endemic to the US, but here is this relative in South Florida, just waiting to be enjoyed! There are pawpaw festivals, celebrating this northernmost member of the family, so why not a swamp apple festival???

Because I was in the ‘Glades hunting pythons, the fruit was not my primary focus, but I intend to return to the swamp to gather them en masse one day. This family of fruits — sometimes called the custard apples — is amongst my favorite. I love their delicate, floral flavor and custard-like texture.

If you have experience with this fruit, please pass it on. I’m new to it and eager to learn more!