Tropicalia Meet the Natives: Seven Year Apple

Tropicalia Meet the Natives: Seven year apple
Byron Stout, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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(Casasia clusiifolia)

Seven year apple gets its name from its fruit which, like the seven years of bad luck that come from breaking a mirror, really just seems that way. We're not sure about the time span on mirror breakage, but seven year apple fruits last for a good year or so.

The fruit starts out green, as here, and gradually turns yellow, then black, then wrinkled as the dark brown pulp dries inside. The fruit is considered "suited for human consumption," according to the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

On the other hand, according to Stephen McFarlane, a blogger on the Turks & Caicos Sporting Club Web site, "Although the fruit is edible, it is probably better off being left for the iguanas, as it is not exactly appetizing for humans."

Iguanas, which dote on the little apples, are the main source of seed dispersal on the Caribbean islands, according to McFarlane. In Florida, where the plant is native to the coastal areas of the extreme southern tip, that may be the job of the state bird.

"The dark brown pulp inside the black fruits is edible but is filled with many seeds. This pulp is very appealing to the mockingbirds, and they hollow out the ripe fruits and leave the empty skins hanging on the plant," according to the UF plant profile.

Besides being attractive to wildlife, the plant is notable for its very fragrant blossoms.

"It is hard not to notice the intense perfume fragrance as you pass by," according to McFarlane.

East Fort Myers nurseryman and landscaper Mayer Berg recommends seven year apple "in places that are a little tucked back in the landscaping. They grow kind of funky, kind of bonsailike. They grow to 8 or 10 feet, but they grow really slowly."

Seven year apple is salt tolerant and very drought resistant, once established. It is available at native plant nurseries, including Berg's Riverland Nursery and Landscape, in 3-gallon containers for $21.99.

More info: Riverland Nursery and Landscape, 13005 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33905, 693-5555; online at www.RiverlandNursery.com.