The wild apple of the Everglades

This plant has many names: pond apple, swamp apple, monkey apple, alligator apple - because American alligators eat their fruits. For science, it's Annona glabra.

Alligator apple.
Alligator apple in the Everglades - License our images here.

The ripe fruit is edible, but the seeds are poisonous. The pips are dark brown when ripe. At that point, the pulp will be from yellow to orange. 

Some say that alligator apple tastes like ripe Honeydew melon, others say that it's bitter. Native Americans made jelly or jam from it. Alligators, turtles, squirrels, birds, and other animals eat the fruits. We haven't tried it - scared of the poisonous seeds.

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