|
| |
History and Description
The tropical soda apple is native to Argentina and Brazil. It
was introduced to Florida in the 1980s. Since then, it has spread to many
states.
The tropical soda apple is an upright, thorny perennial
shrub. It can grow from three to six feet tall. Its leaves are
shaped like oak leaves with clusters of very small white flowers and green or
yellow golf-ball sized fruit. The sweet smelling fruit attracts livestock and
wildlife.
The stem of the tropical soda apple is upright-to-leaning.
The tropical soda apple has many branches and is very hairy. It is covered with
white-to-yellow thorns. The leaves are four to eight inches long and two
to six inches wide. Its leaf tips are shaped like an oak leaf. It has
velvety hairs with thorns projecting from the veins and petioles. It is dark
green with whitish center veins above and lighter green with veins beneath.
The seeds of the tropical soda apple are round, hairless, and
are in a pulpy berry. When ripening, the berries become molted green to yellow.
Each berry produces 200 to 400 reddish-brown seeds.
Uses
Wild animals, such as hogs and
raccoons, and cows eat the fruit of the tropical soda apple. The tropical soda
apple as no other known uses.
Reproduction
From May to August (year round in
Florida) the flowers bloom. It is rapidly spread by livestock transportation and
by wildlife-dispersed seeds, as well as seed-contaminated hay, sod, and
machinery. The tropical soda apple can reach maturity from seed in 105 days in
warm areas.
Ecological Threat
The tropical soda apple is a federal noxious weed.
This exotic weed has lived in Florida for several years and has just recently
spread to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina. Tropical soda apple
can take over pastures, roadsides, and recreational areas making them very hard
to penetrate, even for large wildlife and man.
Cows like the fruit of the
tropical soda apple. They stick their long tongues past the thorns and eat the
mature berries. Cows and other wildlife, such as wild hogs and raccoons that
also eat it, spread the seeds through the feces.
Control Completely wet leaves and stems with a herbicide in
water with a surfactant at times of flowering before fruit appears. Gather and
destroy fruit to prevent re-growth. If the option of mowing is used to destroy
plant re-growth, do not use herbicide applications until fifty to sixty days
after to ensure there is no reproduction.
|
