This image of cut "Selma" fruits vs. a "Knight" cherimoya illustrates the rose blush of the Selma's flesh.

"Selma" originated from a chance seedling in Vista, CA grown in the late 1940s and grafted onto another tree at Paul Thomson's Edgehill property in the same city. Apparently there they sat until the early 1980s when Paul Morales, chapter chairperson of the Tri-Counties California Rare Fruit Growers recognizing the unusual took scion wood to his home in Goleta, CA. This was very fortunate as all trace of the trees in San Diego County have been destroyed by development. 

Mr. Morales during that time gave a few subsequent grafts to a couple people and the small number of trees today are a result of his foresight.  As far as I know until this last year they only existed in Santa Barbara County.   I gave out scion wood this last year and it looks like a few folks have been successful in grafting them over.

    In 1996, Norm Ellstrand of the UCRiverside Dept of Botany did an isozyme analysis of the "Selma, "fearing that it may have been some hybrid atemoya.  He declared it a true cherimoya with absolutely no other species influence. He stated it had a very unique genotype unlike any other cherimoya they had tested so far.

    The fruits vary from small to up to 2lbs and very variable as to shape. The flesh is pinkish, increasing intensity when cut and exposed to air.  Color intensity and flavor seem variable depending on unknown factors.  Its flavor is very unique with a raspberry undertone unlike any other cherimoya, almost a different fruit.  The tree seems more cold hardy than others as observed from its reaction to the freeze of 1991 when it survived much better than others.

 Submitted by Alan Schroeder, Santa Barbara, California