Manilkara zapota (sapodilla)

Native from Mexico through Central America to Colombia, this slow-growing evergreen fruit tree can eventually reach 60 to 100 feet tall. Its small, bell-shaped flowers develop into brown-skinned fruits with very sweet flesh that may be smooth or slightly granular, depending on the cultivar. The fruit is eaten fresh and used in milkshakes, sherbets and ice cream. Milky latex from the tree, known as chicle, was once a principal ingredient of chewing gum. Sapodilla is extensively grown and consumed in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, India and other parts of Asia. Mature trees tolerate drought and coastal salt spray. It is invasive in central and southern Florida. Photographed in Colombia.