Mangosteen
Mangosteen is one of the most tasty tropical fruits and rightfully deserves the title "Queen of Fruits".
This page provides some basic information on mangosteen together with some mangosteen photos and proverbs.
Basic information on mangosteen
| Scientific name: | Garcinia mangostana |
| English: | Mangosteen Purple Mangosteen |
| Dutch: | Mangistan Mangosteen Mangostan Mangoestan Mangestang |
| Spanish: | Mangostino Jobo de la India |
| French: | Mangoustanier Mangoustan Mangouste |
| German: | Mangostane Mangostan Mangostinbaum Mangostin Mangostanbaum Mangostanfrucht |
| Italian: | Mangostano |
| Family: | Clusiaceae |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Origin: | The Sunda Islands and the Moluccas |
| Distribution: | Mangosteen was 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: | Mangosteen requires a tropical climate. It cannot tolerate temperature below 5°C. |
| Pollination: | Seeds of mangosteen grow without sexual fertilization. |
| Height: | 7-25 meter. |
| Crown: | The mangosteen 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: |
Mangosteen photos
Proverbs about mangosteen
- Mangosteen is the Queen of Fruits.
Quotes
- This fruit should be credited as a tax deduction because eating it you are donating to your soul.
Did you know that?
- The power and beauty of this queen fruit can promote healthy skin. It may also not be known that the mystic powers of the antioxidants in this fruit is also now being used in anti aging products. Just don't mistake this fruit for a mango or you will be deducted from its friend list. You have been warned :)
If you know any proverbs or quotes about mangosteen please send me a message.
Recipes
No mangosteen recipe yet. If you have a favorite recipe with mangosteen, please send me an email.