Today I planted an unusual relative of soursop and cherimoya called Duguetia peruviana that I got from Joe. This small tree grows in the lower elevation rainforests of Ecuador. Compared to it’s edible relatives, this duguetia doesn’t contain much fruit pulp but apparently tastes sweet.
Duguetia is in the plant family Annonaceae and there are 90 species from Central/South America and four from West Africa. Outside of it’s native range this tree is not cultivated and is unknown. It is listed as critically endangered most likely due to habitat loss. Like many in it’s family, the tree produces secondary metabolites and unique terpenes, flavonoids and alkaloids from different parts of the tree but us humans are still figuring out it’s potential medicinal or pharmacological value which could be significantly high.
Originally posted on 2021-10-19, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.