+971567973834
info@goldenseed.ae
CHIKOO – SAPODILLA
Manilkara Zapota commonly known as Chikoo trees are long-living evergreen trees. These are cultivated for their edible sweet fruits. With its native origin to Central America, Mexico & West Indies, but find its a wide distribution throughout Southeast Asian countries. Chikoo trees have a tendency to grow about 5 – 20 m tall when cultivated in your home garden. This tree consists of glossy medium green leaves, which are alternate, and elliptic to ovate with an entire margin. Manilkara Zapota also blooms inconspicuously with white flowers, that are bell-like, with a six-lobed corolla. The fruit that it bears is somewhat like a large berry (4 – 8 cm in diameter) with its color turning from a pale yellow to an earthy brown as it gets ripened. With their attractive appearance and easy-to-care conditions, these trees are excellent for ground cover or other relevant ornamental purposes.
The Chikoo tree or sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) is an evergreen that produces a delicious sweet fruit and has a dense canopy that will retain its foliage for the entire year. The Chikoo is an extremely popular species to incorporate into landscape design in Dubai for villa landscaping, homes, and other residential and commercial landscaping in the UAE because of the combination of both its aesthetic and functional applications. The Chikoo tree has green, glossy leaves like other tropical trees; it has a naturally rounded form, and it can be effectively used in residential landscaping, edible gardens, or sustainable landscape design projects. The Chikoo tree is well-suited to warmer climates and will grow well in sunny outdoor areas; therefore, if it is planted in full sun outdoors, it may become an attractive focal point in either a traditional landscape design or a contemporary landscape design.
Chikoo trees can be used in many different ways. They help provide an area that is nice to look at, has cooling shade, and produces seasonal fruit in addition to offering an attractive planting choice for landscape design in Dubai. Therefore, these trees would be a good choice for villa landscaping, edible gardens, and family-friendly outdoor areas.
- Sweet edible fruits
- Evergreen ornamental tree
- Dense green canopy
- Provides natural shade
- Suitable for home gardens
- Ideal for edible landscaping
- Thrives in warm climates
- Year-round landscape appeal
The Chikoo tree has great utility as a sustainable landscape design plant as well as for residential landscaping; they are relatively easy to maintain when established satisfactorily. If provided sufficient and regular water supplies, Chikoo trees grow rapidly, obtain a high leaf count, and produce an excellent yield of fruit when there is sufficient sun and some trimming (in their first few years after being planted) during establishment. Once Chikoo trees have achieved maturity, they continue to thrive as long as the trees are properly established even in arid environments.
- Plant in full sunlight
- Use well-draining soil
- Water regularly during establishment
- Reduce watering as the tree matures
- Prune lightly to maintain shape
- Apply organic compost or fertilizer periodically
- Remove dead or damaged branches
- Monitor for pests and diseases when fruiting
