Tropical fruits: Mangosteen

Mangosteen is one of the most tasty tropical fruits and rightfully deserves the title "Queen of Fruits". This page provides some basic information and photos of mangosteen.

Scientific name:	Garcinia mangostana L.
Family:	Clusiaceae
Common names:	Mangosteen
Origin:	The Sunda Islands and the Moluccas
Distribution:	First domesticated in Thailand or Burma. Its main distribution now includes Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia and Singapore. Also grown but to less extent in parts of Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, some places in Africa (i.e. Zanzibar, Ghana), the Carribean, and South America
Evergreen or deciduous:	Evergreen tree.
Fruits:	The mangosteen fruit has a deep purplish peel. Inside is a succulent white pulp consisting of 4 to 8 segments and one to five seeds. The pulp has a sensational flavor which is probably the reason that it is called "queen of fruits".
Leaves:	Short thick leathery evergreen leaves.
Trunk:	The bark of the mangosteen tree has a dark brown (nearly black) color.
Climate and weather:	Requires tropical climate. Cannot tolerate temperature below 5°C.
Pollination:	Seeds grow without sexual fertilization.
Height:	7-25 meter.
Crown:	the tree has a crown with a pyramidal shape.
Type of soil:	Prefers deep, rich organic soil, especially sandy loam or laterite.
Growth rate:	Slow growing. In Thailand, the tree is said to take at least 12 years to fruit
Spacing (close range)	10 meter
Spacing (wide range)	12 meter
Propagation:	The so-called "seeds" are not true seeds but embryos that start growing without sexual fertilization. The reproduction process is thus vegetative, which means that there is very little variation in the resulting trees and their fruits.
Insect pests:	Usually no serious pests.
Diseases:	Usually no serious diseases.
Other problems:	Mangosteen can suffer from a physiological problem called "gamboge". Latex is oozing onto the outer surface of the fruits and on the branches during periods of heavy rain. This does not affect the eating quality of the fruit, but because it affects appearance of the fruits it may result in lowering the economic value of the harvest.
Harvesting:	Harvest the fruits by hand from ladders or with a cutting pole, but don't allow fruits to fall on the ground. Ripeness can be determined from the full development of color and slight softening of the fruits. Fruits must be fully mature (developed) before picking otherwise they will not ripen. In Thailand harvesting starts in May and continues through the rainy season.
Uses: