Wood apple (Feronia citrica) tree

Originating in India, the wood apple is a unique fruit. It looks more like a coconut than an apple.

This fruit has several names. It's also called elephant apple or lemon feronia. Other names include Persian lemon, Limonia acidissima, and Feronia limonia. These names relate to the fruit's traits. "Lemon" hints at its aroma. "Wooden" describes its hard shell.

Elephants enjoy these fruits, hence the name "elephant apple." This plant belongs to the Rutaceae family, genus Limonia. It is safe to eat.

You need a tool to open a wood apple. It must be split like a coconut. The pulp tastes better with sugar. You can buy it fresh or dried. Fresh fruit has the most nutrients. Cooking reduces these benefits. Ripe fruits can help your stomach. Lemon feronia juice can treat mouth and throat issues. Unripe fruits may help with diarrhea.

You can grow lemon feronia from cuttings or seeds. Seeds take longer to produce fruit, about 2-3 years. If using seeds, they need stratification. Soak them in warm water for 6 hours. Disinfect the planting container. Fill it with sand and coconut peat.

Spread the seeds on the surface. Push them 1.5 centimeters into the soil. Cover the container with plastic wrap. Keep it at 24 to 26 degrees Celsius. Take cuttings in the summer. Put them in water until roots appear. Then, transplant them into soil.

The wood apple handles transplanting well. You can trim the roots if needed. Do this in spring or summer, no more than three times a year.

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