White Sapote

Casimiroa edulis
Family: Rutaceae
Genus: Casimiroa
Species: C. edulis

Conejo Valley Botanic Garden has a rare fruit area showcases several kinds of sapote trees. White sapote is native to eastern Mexico, Central America, and south to Costa Rica. The fruit is averagely about the same or slightly bigger than an apple. Like avocado, you have to pick the fruit when it's green, wait for a few days until it is ripe and soft. I always tell people who;s not familiar with the fruit that it tastes custardy and creamy. It's actually similar to atemoya (a hybrid of sugarapple and cherimoya).

This is a colored pencil drawing I made in the early winter of 2014. Of course, after being my model for 3 days, this sweet and delicious sapote was eaten! The luxury of being a botanical artist is that you get to eat your models sometimes! (Of course it's not fun when I work on a poison oak illustration recently...)

Here is a closeup of the stem part:

About this artwork:
Original size: 11" x 14"
Paper: Fabriano Hot Press 140 Lb.
Colored pencils: Faber-Castell and Caran d'Ache

May The Bb Power Be With You,
Ellie