Annona senegalensis is usually a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub growing 2 - 6 metres tall, but in favourable conditions, especially in east Africa, it can become tree-like and as much as 11 metres tall.
A multi-purpose tree providing food, medicine and a range of commodities for the local people. The plant is not generally cultivated but is often gathered from the wild.
The fruit is sometimes sold in local markets.
The plant is said to have the potential for domestication.

Known Hazards

None known.

Habitat

Dry open woodland, bush and grassland, from sea level to 1,500 metres (2,400 metres in E. Africa).
Riverbanks, fallow land and swamp forests in semi-arid to subhumid regions.
Often as a single plant in the understorey of savannah woodlands.

Cultivation Status

Wild

Cultivation Details

Wild custard apple grows naturally in semi-arid to humid tropical areas of Africa at elevations ranging from sea level to 2,400 metres.
It grows best in areas where the mean annual temperature is in the range 17 - 30°c and the mean annual rainfall is 700 - 2,500mm.
Although it succeeds on various soil types, it grows best on coral rocks dominated by sandy loam soils.
Prefers a position in light shade.
Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5.
The flowers of Annona genus are hermaphrodite, but the stigmas are generally not receptive at the time the pollen is shed. Complete pollination seldom occurs, explaining the frequency of misshapen fruit.
Hand pollination may improve both yield and quality of the fruit.
Fruit cracking is common.
Trees coppice well after felling and also send up sucker shoots.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw
The edible white pulp of the ripe fruit has a pleasant, pineapple-like aroma with the flavour of apricots.
The yellow to orange fruit is around 5cm in diameter.
The leaves are sometimes used as vegetables.
The dried leaves contain 8.2% protein.
The flowers serve as a spice for various meals.
The unopened flower buds are eaten in soups and used as a flavouring.

Medicinal

The bark is used for treating guinea worms and other worms, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, snakebite, toothache and respiratory infections.
The bark is chewed and smeared on fresh wounds.
The bark and the roots are crushed together and applied to snakebite wounds.
Gum from the bark is used in sealing cuts and wounds.
The leaves are used for treating pneumonia and as a tonic to promote general well being.
The roots are used in the treatment of stomach-ache, venereal diseases, chest colds and dizziness.
In South Africa, roots are said to cure madness, and in Mozambique, they are fed to small children to induce them to forget the breast and thus hasten weaning.
The fruits are used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting.
Various plant parts are combined for treating dermatological diseases and ophthalmic disorders.

Agroforestry Uses

None Recorded

Other Uses

The boiled flowers are used as a source of perfume by local people.
An essential oil is found in the leaves.
The major constituents are car-3-ene in the fruit and linalool.
A perfume is made from boiled leaves.
Ash from the wood is added to chewing or snuff tobacco and also is a solvent in soap production.
This last probably means that the wood ashes are used as a source of potash for mixing with oil to make soap [
The leaves are sometimes used as a stuffing when filling mattresses and pillows.
Fibre from young sucker shoots is used in binding.
A yellow or brown dye is obtained from the bark.
An effective insecticide is obtained from the bark.
The wood is soft and white or light brown in colour.
It is used for wooden spoons, poles, tool handles etc.
The wood is used for fuel.

Propagation

Seed - scarification improves germination rates of nursery grown plants.
Natural regeneration by seed is usually good, especially on recently cultivated or burnt areas of land.
Seed storage behaviour is orthodox. Seeds are susceptible to insect damage and lose viability within 6 months.
However, viability can be maintained for more than 2 years in air-dry storage at 5c.
Root suckers are produced naturally by the plant in conditions such as the wounding of roots by fire or trampling by cultivators and animals.