While dodging flooded streets on my way home from work last week I cut through the parking lot of a vacant building. I noticed ripe papayas in the overgrown hedge so I stopped to take a closer look.

As usual with papayas, the yellowing fruit was up near the crown, a good 15 feet off the ground and well out of my reach. Side note: During my stay in Costa Rica, there were two tall papaya trees in my yard. I was never able to reach the large fruits, but they were favored by toucans, who obviously had no trouble flying to those heights.

But, back to my current story. As I returned through the shrubbery to my car I noted a strange, knobby, green ball among the branches. Wondering if it was also edible, I snapped a photo and did a quick online search. Turns out it was a Sugar Apple, also known as Sweetsop (Annona squamosa).

I’ve never tasted one before but the description sounded interesting, smooth and creamy (like custard) with a mild floral, banana flavor. I searched through the branches until I found a ripe one (about the size of a softball) and brought it home to sample. After gently pulling it apart with my hands I used a spoon to scoop the segments out of the rind.

The flesh was soft, and more sweet than flavorful, but I enjoyed it. Though I had to chew carefully because each segment contained a large, hard seed. Since the tree is native to the American tropics and considered naturalized in southern Florida, I saved the seeds and will try to germinate them. Who knows, maybe I’ll grow my own someday!