The velvet apple (Diospyros blancoi), also known as mabolo, is one of those fruits that makes you stop in your tracks the first time you see it. With its deep, rosy-red skin covered in a fine, soft fuzz, it looks almost like a tropical persimmon that grew hair and then channeled Sinead O’Connor. We brought seeds back from the Fruit and Spice Park in Miami, and now we’ve got our own seedlings coming along right here in New Orleans. This is a tree with real potential for our climate — it loves warmth, appreciates humidity, and can handle the kind of summer heat that slows down other fruiting plants. Once established, it’s resilient and attractive, with glossy green leaves and fruit that’s as much a conversation piece as it is a treat.
The flavor of velvet apple is unique — mild and creamy, with a hint of tropical sweetness and a smooth, custard-like texture when fully ripe. Some describe it as having whispers of apple, banana, and peach all in one bite. It’s the kind of fruit that’s subtle rather than punchy, best enjoyed fresh and slightly chilled, or sliced into fruit salads where it plays well with other tropical flavors. Its aroma is famously distinctive — love it or hate it, it announces the fruit before you taste it — which only adds to its personality.
Velvet apple is a perfect fit for New Orleans. It thrives in our long, hot summers, enjoys the same moisture-laden air that fuels our figs and citrus, and it doesn’t blink at the afternoon downpours. With a little protection in the coldest winters, it can become a long-lived, evergreen centerpiece in the garden. For growers here, it’s a chance to add a rare and beautiful tree to the landscape — one that will set fruit in the same climate where most tropicals would struggle — and to help establish a locally adapted strain for future generations.
The velvet apple (Diospyros blancoi), also known as mabolo, is one of those fruits that makes you stop in your tracks the first time you see it. With its deep, rosy-red skin covered in a fine, soft fuzz, it looks almost like a tropical persimmon that grew hair and then channeled Sinead O’Connor. We brought seeds back from the Fruit and Spice Park in Miami, and now we’ve got our own seedlings coming along right here in New Orleans. This is a tree with real potential for our climate — it loves warmth, appreciates humidity, and can handle the kind of summer heat that slows down other fruiting plants. Once established, it’s resilient and attractive, with glossy green leaves and fruit that’s as much a conversation piece as it is a treat.
The flavor of velvet apple is unique — mild and creamy, with a hint of tropical sweetness and a smooth, custard-like texture when fully ripe. Some describe it as having whispers of apple, banana, and peach all in one bite. It’s the kind of fruit that’s subtle rather than punchy, best enjoyed fresh and slightly chilled, or sliced into fruit salads where it plays well with other tropical flavors. Its aroma is famously distinctive — love it or hate it, it announces the fruit before you taste it — which only adds to its personality.
Velvet apple is a perfect fit for New Orleans. It thrives in our long, hot summers, enjoys the same moisture-laden air that fuels our figs and citrus, and it doesn’t blink at the afternoon downpours. With a little protection in the coldest winters, it can become a long-lived, evergreen centerpiece in the garden. For growers here, it’s a chance to add a rare and beautiful tree to the landscape — one that will set fruit in the same climate where most tropicals would struggle — and to help establish a locally adapted strain for future generations.
