Nice crop Stan! the big box stores have been stocking these trees pretty regularly now. maybe they'll start gaining popularity in home orchards. I have both Vernon and Suebelle, though only suebelle is old enough to fruit. It's a heavy bloomer and carries fruit at various stages of maturity most of the year.

Francesco,I haven't tried the others,but I've read they do differ. Some have an apple-custard flavor. Sounds good too. Other then Suebelle,others also can become huge trees. If you have 20 or 30 years to wait!

Josue,that's whats great too- they are like all year in a fruit here or there. The tree's too are open to heavy pruning..they handle that with no problems. Once you start to get more then you can eat or don't need the shade of a big tree? Prune them.

I've had mine for 3 years and this was the first year I've seen fruit try to start. It grew flowers and a few started growing fruit. They got to the size of a golfball and turned black and fell off. I'm guessing they take a while before they start fruiting or maybe am I doing something wrong? I water it very lightly and very seldom.. maybe once every 1.5 weeks for a few hours with a slow trickle from the hose. (I'm in the Sonoran Desert)

They are more like Avocado's ..subtropical. At least the variety's sold in California. If its done well for three years,I would think the problem is not enough water. They like to be given good deep waterings until they get some size. Some by the coast can get by on no summer water once they get aged.

My parents have been growing a tree in Walnut Creek for almost 20 years, and it's pretty foolproof and a beautiful tree to boot. Tree always sets hundreds of flowers but only a dozen or so turn to fruit for them, either because of lack of pollinators or inconsistent watering on their part. Same for their 'Beaumont' macadamia.

Both should thrive in WC. Has to be the watering. I know Sapote is drought tolerant- but there goes the fruit if pushed that hard.

Dang those look good Stan. I'm jealous. Maybe someday I will get a fruit. ;)

Francesco, I've had a few different cultivars and they vary greatly. Some are super sweet with no hint of bitterness, some are a little on the bitter side (pleasantly or unpleasantly, depending on the variety and your tastes). Some are tart and some have no tartness to speak of. My favorite are sweet, not too tart, and just slightly bitter with a burnt sugar flavor. The ones with no bitterness at all are bland to me.

I say that like I get to eat them often. I have had 7-8 of them in my life. But from several different cultivars and sources. They have them at the farmer's market here when they are in season but I'm not very good at actually catching them since they're not a major crop -- a few people just bring a few from their personal trees and have them on the side, maybe one or two weeks a year. It's like they're taunting me!

My cousin loves them Steph..I told him come on down. He waited a couple of weeks and most had fallen off by then. But,there was still some,and I see what looks like another picking in a few weeks. This tree for those not familiar can bear every day of the year nearly while at the same time,flushing new growth,flowering,bearing small pea sized fruit and also ripe fruit. All at the same time on the tree.

Don't fear pruning to keep picking size..this tree takes to pruning like a duck to water.