Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
alligator apple
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
alligator apple alligator apple tree
Quizzes
Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, some forming a question mark, against a light blue background. (organic, fruits, vegetables)
Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz
Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap
Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous
Related Questions
Read Next
Flower bingo
Britannica’s Flower Bingo
Plant seedlings emerging from rich fertile soil
Do Plants Feel Pain?
curly kale. Kale or borecole (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) a loose leafed, edible plant derived from the cabbage. vegetable
Nutritional Powerhouses: 8 Foods That Pack a Nutritional Punch
Macro image of pollen-covered bee on purple crocus. (flowers, stamen, pollination, insects, nature)
5 Fast Facts About Flower Anatomy
Anemone coronaria, the poppy anemone, Spanish marigold, or windflower, is a species of flowering plant.
What’s the Difference Between Angiosperms and Gymnosperms?
Discover
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.
Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Mona Lisa, oil on wood panel by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1503-06; in the Louvre, Paris, France. 77 x 53 cm.
Why Is the Mona Lisa So Famous?
earthquake. Heavily damaged school in the town of Yingxiu after a major earthquake struck China's Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008.
The 6 Deadliest Earthquakes Since 1950
alligator apple
alligator apple Alligator apple (Annona glabra).

alligator apple

plant
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/plant/alligator-apple
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Annona glabra, corkwood, pond apple
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Also called:
corkwood or pond apple
Related Topics:
custard apple
fruit
See all related content

alligator apple, (Annona glabra), fruit tree (family Annonaceae) of tropical America valued for its roots, which serve many of the same purposes as cork. The edible fruit has a poor flavour and is not usually eaten fresh but is sometimes used for making jellies. See custard apple.

alligator apple tree
alligator apple tree Fruit of the alligator, or pond, apple tree (Annona glabra).

The alligator apple is a 12-metre (40-foot) evergreen tree. The simple oval leaves are 18 cm (7 inches) long. The unusual, yellow, fragrant flowers feature six to eight fleshy curved petals in two whorls and numerous stamens and pistils. The plant bears gnarled yellowish fruits, 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) long. The corky roots are used to make bottle corks and fishing floats and as rootstock for grafting less hardy species of Annona.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.