Overview

Cultivate a truly unique and delicious fruit in your own garden with this black sapote live plant. Also known as the chocolate pudding fruit tree (botanical name: Diospyros Nigra), this tropical gem offers a rich, sweet fruit that often surprises with its dark, custard-like texture and flavor reminiscent of chocolate pudding. This listing is for one healthy 4-7 inch tall seedling, carefully grown and shipped in a 2.5 inch square pot. Ideal for enthusiasts of exotic fruits, the black sapote live plant is a fascinating specimen that promises a rewarding growing experience, whether you’re in a tropical climate or growing it as a container plant in cooler regions.

The Black Sapote is native to eastern Mexico, Central America, and Colombia, thriving in warm, humid conditions. Its distinctive fruit matures from a hard, olive-green orb to a soft, dark, and sweet delicacy. While trees grown from seeds may exhibit some variation from the parent, the joy of nurturing your own tropical fruit tree from a young diospyros nigra seedling is immense, leading to a productive and beautiful addition to your landscape or patio.

Key Benefits

Adding a black sapote live plant to your collection offers a multitude of benefits, from its unique fruit to its ornamental appeal. This tropical fruit tree is not only a source of delicious produce but also a conversation starter. Here are some of the key advantages:

• Exotic Fruit Production: Enjoy the unique pleasure of harvesting your own ‘chocolate pudding’ fruit. The mature fruit has a sweet, custardy texture and flavor, perfect for desserts, smoothies, or eating fresh.
• Ornamental Value: The chocolate pudding fruit tree grows into an attractive medium to large tree with a dense, oblong canopy, providing shade and visual interest in your garden or a striking specimen in a large container.
• Nutritional Value: Black sapote fruit is a good source of Vitamin C and other nutrients, offering a healthy and delicious treat.
• Container Growing Potential: While it can grow large in ideal conditions, the diospyros nigra seedling can be successfully grown in large pots, allowing cultivation in non-tropical climates with appropriate winter protection.
• Unique Culinary Ingredient: Beyond eating fresh, the fruit can be used in various recipes, adding a distinctive flavor to pies, cakes, and other culinary creations.
• Sustainable & Organic: This seedling is organically grown, ensuring you receive a healthy start for your sustainable gardening efforts.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your black sapote live plant involves understanding its tropical needs to ensure healthy growth and fruiting. As a young diospyros nigra seedling, it will require careful attention, especially during its initial establishment phase. Proper black sapote care is crucial for its long-term success.

This tropical fruit tree thrives in full sun to partial shade, ideally receiving at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day once established. Young plants, however, benefit from some protection from intense afternoon sun. They prefer consistently moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Avoid waterlogging, as this can lead to root rot. During dry periods, regular watering is essential, especially for container-grown plants. The Black Sapote is a tropical species, preferring warm temperatures and high humidity. It is sensitive to cold and should be protected from temperatures below 40°F (5°C). In cooler climates, it’s best grown in a container that can be moved indoors during winter. The USDA hardiness zone for Black Sapote is typically 10-11, but with proper protection, it can be grown in zone 9. Fertilize regularly during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer or an organic fruit tree food, following product instructions. Watch out for common pests like aphids or scale, and treat with organic insecticidal soap if necessary.

When you first receive your chocolate pudding fruit tree seedling, allow it a week or two to adjust to its new environment before repotting or planting. Keep it in a spot with moderate temperatures (70-80°F) and good light, but avoid direct sun initially. Gradually increase its exposure to sunlight and outdoor conditions if you plan to plant it in the garden. Small plants are particularly vulnerable to cold, wind, and direct sun, so provide adequate protection. Consistent black sapote care will ensure your plant flourishes.

Size & Details

You are purchasing one black sapote live plant, specifically a diospyros nigra seedling, that measures approximately 4-7 inches in height. This measurement does not include the height of the pot. The plant is established in a 2.5 inch square nursery pot, providing a healthy root system for transplanting. Black Sapote trees are known to grow to a medium size of 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 meters) or even larger, reaching 30 to 80 feet (9.1 to 24.4 meters) in optimal conditions, forming an attractive oblong canopy. The fruit itself is oblate to globose, typically 3 to 6 inches (7–15 cm) in diameter, with a dark olive-green to bright green peel. Immature fruit has a firm, yellowish-orange pulp, which transforms into a very soft, brown to black, ‘chocolate pudding’ consistency when fully ripe. Each fruit may contain 0 to 12 flat, smooth, brown seeds. While seedlings may not be identical to the parent tree, they offer the rewarding experience of growing your own unique tropical fruit tree. This plant is organically grown in Florida, ensuring a robust and healthy start.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this black sapote live plant get? A: This listing is for a 4-7 inch tall seedling. Mature chocolate pudding fruit tree plants can grow to a medium size of 25-30 feet, and sometimes even larger, up to 80 feet, depending on growing conditions and environment.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Your diospyros nigra seedling will arrive in a 2.5 inch square nursery pot, ready for you to transplant into a larger container or directly into the ground when appropriate.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: While it is a tropical plant that thrives outdoors in USDA Zones 10-11, it can be grown indoors in a large pot in cooler climates, provided it receives adequate light and warmth. Good black sapote care is essential for indoor success.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: Once established, Black Sapote prefers full sun, ideally 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily. Young seedlings should be protected from intense direct sun immediately after arrival and gradually acclimated.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Black Sapote is relatively easy to care for if its basic tropical needs for warmth, humidity, and consistent moisture are met. It’s a great choice for those looking for a unique tropical fruit tree.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your plant will be a live, healthy seedling, 4-7 inches tall, in its 2.5 inch nursery pot. It is carefully packaged to ensure safe arrival.
• Q: How long until it produces fruit? A: Trees grown from seed typically take several years, often 3-6 years, to begin producing fruit. Patience will be rewarded with the unique ‘chocolate pudding’ fruit.
• Q: What is the best time to plant this black sapote live plant? A: In tropical zones, it can be planted year-round. In areas where it needs to be protected indoors for winter, it’s best to plant or repot in spring or early summer to allow it to establish before colder weather.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Black Sapote is sensitive to cold and will not tolerate frost. If you live in a zone colder than USDA 10, it must be brought indoors or provided with significant winter protection to survive. Proper black sapote care includes temperature management.
• Q: Can the fruit truly be used like chocolate pudding? A: Yes, the ripe fruit has a dark, soft, custardy texture and a sweet flavor that is often compared to chocolate pudding. It’s excellent in smoothies, desserts, or eaten fresh.