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Chocolate Plant Sapota
In its nativecountry, sapotagrows up to16 meters tall with distinctive, long, leathery, shiny leaves that are about 30 cm long and 15 cm wide. The main reason for its cultivation is its yellow-green, tomato-shaped fruitswith chocolate-colored flesh. However, the fruits, which are 6 cm in diameter and weigh 1 kg, take up to 12 months to ripen and have an average of 10 flat, reddish-brown seeds.
This plant can be grown in living rooms , greenhouses and conservatories. It is very hardy for a tropical tree as it can tolerate temperatures near zero degrees Celsius, but it must be grown in a sunny location and the ambient temperature must be kept constant at a constant degree Celsius. In addition, the soil in which the plants are grown should be nutrient rich and PH neutral ,and ordinary fertilizers are sufficient.
It is native to the region from Mexico to Guatemala and higher altitudes. The bark is very dark, almost black. The flowers are white and bloom in clusters of three to seven.
The fruits of the sapota are eaten whole or used in baking. Recipes for sapota bread, for example, can be found on the Internet. Of course, even vegetarians can eat it in place of chocolate. In Mexico, sapota is added to juice or brandy.
Want to grow this beautiful and exotic plant in your own home? You can buy it for less than $35 on an Australian website or get it from a Czech grower.