White sapote tree logistics

I tried a white sapote fruit for the first time today and it tasted good. I had previously tried cherimoya fruit and thought that it was okay but not great, and definitely not worth the hassle of hand pollinating since I'm outside of the region where the natural pollinators live. It seems like white sapote is a better tasting (I realize this is subjective), more productive, simpler fruit to grow. I'm in zone 10/Coastal Southern California.


The downside seems to be that it is a large tree with aggressive roots and a tendency to dump a bunch of very soft fruit all at once. The California Rare Fruit Growers page basically said that it is a classic California tree that will grow wherever citrus grows, but also seems to include a bunch of warnings, which seems significant considering they are usually a pretty pro-tree planting website. For example:

"Before planting, consider the mess made by unpicked fruit. Planting over a patio can be a big mistake. The ultimate size of the the tree should also be kept in mind. "

"Shallow watering can encourage surface roots that will break pavement or ruin lawns."

"Seedlings generally produce inferior fruit..."

https://crfg.org/homepage/library/fruitfacts/white-sapote/


I'm hoping for some advice from anyone who has grown this tree, especially if you have grown it in Southern California. Has it ruined your life (along with your house foundation, lawn, and previously rodent-free environment)? Or is it a pretty average fruit tree in the sense that you can maintain it at a harvest-able 6' or so with twice yearly pruning? The CRFG website stated that "White sapotes are also tolerant of cold wet roots and north sides of buildings." I have a spot that fits that description, it's just not that big of a spot. Also I'm curious if it is worth growing from seed, or if tracking down a grafted plant is necessary. It doesn't seem like a common tree for nurseries to carry, which also has me questioning if it is a wise choice. Or maybe a cutting would grow into a smaller tree?

Any info is helpful. Thanks!

coincidentally, today i grafted for the very 1st time my white sapote tree that i grew from seed.  my friend gave me a cutting of his "rainbow" white sapote.  

my tree is probably over 20 years old but i've never tasted its fruit.  so far it's put nearly all its energy into growing straight up.  i keep chopping it back, and the chop and drop fuels its growth even more.  a couple times it fruited but the squirrels got them super fast.  

i highly recommend growing all fruit trees from seed.  there's a chance that you might get something special, which you can then share with the rest of the community.  if your seedling doesn't turn out special, well, then you can graft onto it something special from the community.  

not sure about how aggressive the root system is, but i've seen white sapotes fruiting in large pots.  all fruit trees can be essentially bonsai'd and still bear fruit.  

don't give up on cherimoyas.  store bought ones are rarely as good as homegrown ones, and there are many different varieties of homegrown ones.  some are more open to natural pollination than others.  

one tree that i really wish that i had planted 20 years ago is the achacha (garcinia sp).  i haven't tried the fruit yet but i'd sure like to try it.  same with luc's garcinia.  

Thanks for replying. It's good to know that a white sapote tree from seed might be more vertically growing rather than having a wide canopy. If you don't mind sharing more, what growing conditions does your tree have? For example, is it in a pot or the ground? Does it get lots of sun, or is it in a more shaded spot?

I have three seeds from the fruit I ate, so I will see if I can sprout them.

my tree is in the ground, in full sun and it receives water once a week during summer.  there are a few big trees at the la arboretum.  if you go there, the tropical fruit tree section is worth checking out.  

hope your seeds sprout.  i'm sowing some right now, mixed in with other seeds and cuttings of figs, kiwi and pomegranate.  i try to hedge my bets as much as possible.