
The Pond Apple
Photo credit: Christopher Hind
The Endangered Plants of
Florida
The Pond Apple
Annona glabra
Florida, La Florida, as it was named by Spanish explorer
Ponce De Leon, in the early 1500's, means Land of the
Flowers.
We certainly do attempt to live up to the name!
The Pond Apple
Also called the Alligator Apple, Custard Apple,
or Monkey Apple, by any name,
the Pond Apple seems to be enjoyed
by the Alligators in the Everglades.
The tree is a favorite resting place for
the Wood Stork,
Snail Kite, Great Blue Heron, Great Egrets and other
large water birds who occupy the tops of the tree,
while the smaller birds sit on the lower branches.
Is this a swamp pecking order?
This very hardy tree ranges between 25 - 35 feet and
the fruit, which does resemble an Apple, is about 5 inches.
Although the Fruit is edible, it has a strong narcotic taste.
The flower is a beautiful, tulip shaped yellow blossom.
The Pond Apple, which grows wild in the Everglades, is quite
aggressive and is often referred to as an invasive weed.
It grows best in swamps and likes sea water,
and obviously cannot tolerate dry soil.

Everglades Pond Apple
Photo credit: State Archives of Florida
Mary Lou Norwood - 1980
The Ancestral Habitat of the Pond Apple was
the South Shore of Lake Okeechobee,
where it again may find a place to call home,
as thousands have recently been replanted in
multiple locations hoping to give a Florida
Native on the brink, the chance at a new life.
Overseas, the Pond Apple has become a huge
problem for Australia's Mangroves.
Yet, in Florida, this so-called weed, provides food
and shelter for so
many, like Raccoons, Birds
and Squirrels, as well as a safe haven for
the critically Endangered Okeechobee Gourd.
Meanwhile, its seeds are in medicinal studies for
potential benefits in Leukemia and other Cancers.

Pond Apple
Annona glabra
Photo credit:
Forest and Kim Starr
There are over 55 Endangered or Threatened plants in
Florida,
and they are all conveniently listed
here:
Florida's Federally Listed Plant Species
Places to learn more:
Exchange Law/Miami.edu
Pond Apple Wetlands Restoration
Florida Native Plant Society
Ecosystems of Florida
IRC
Pond Apple
SFWMD Newsletter
Greater Everglades
UF
50 Common Native Plants
Walking with the Alligators

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