Mangosteen is magnificently difficult to turn outside of its aboriginal habitats , which admit the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia .
However , the mangosteen yield is legendary for its flavour , being call by some the best - tasting fruit in the universe . A passion for mangosteen tree among food aficionado is articulated byNational Geographic , which call the fruit " the most exquisite yield of the tropics , " an opinion the mag states goes back centuries among royal line , explorer and just about everybody who has ever tasted it .
If you yearn for a mangosteen fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Garcinia mangostana ) in your K , you had better live in Hawaii or the warmest function of South Florida , as this tree diagram uprise only in USDA hardiness zones 11 and 12 . Against all odds , here ’s what it might take to nurture and cultivate a mangosteen .
About the Mangosteen Tree
The very slow - growing mangosteen is an evergreen tree with an erect habit that can eventually reach from 20 to 80 feet magniloquent with a spread of 30 to 40 feet . It is unremarkably known as purple mangosteen and " queen of fruit . "
The tropic fruits are about the sizing of an mean orange at 4 inches in diameter , with thick rind that become purple when the yield is mature .
When peel , the pearly white sections are variously describe as a complex acidic and sweet smorgasbord of mango , hemangioma simplex , peaches and lychees , according toGLOBALG.A.P. , an external produce - corroboration board found in Germany .
Mangosteens are commercially produce primarily in Thailand , which is the largest manufacturer worldwide , along with Vietnam , Malaysia and Indonesia . Some yield also occurs in Central America .
It requires a warm and humid climate with even rainfall and a clear three - to - five - week ironic season .
Growing Mangosteen Trees
Finding a mangosteen seedling or Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree from a nursery could pose a quest , but some tropic fruit tree nurseries in Hawaii andFloridamay stock them or be able to find them , although you will probably have to do some homework .
Some available tree may be grafted , while some might be growing on their own rootstock . Usually , grafted trees flower earlier , but the fruits are smaller , so most trees usable commercially are not grafted .
There are no known commercial planting of mangosteen tree in the U.S.
Planting and Care
untested sapling need shade , but as they produce , the trees need some sun . So a location withpartial shademight be best while protecting younger trees with shade cloth if potential — think rainforest conditions . location in full sun will not be successful .
Garcinia mangostana requiredeep and well - drain grime with in high spirits organic mattercontent . In the wilderness , these Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree get on rich river loams . If your soil is on the flaxen side , remedy it with peat moss and bunch of rich compost , or remove your aboriginal soil completely and replace it with a richer motley .
piss is key . Irrigate twice hebdomadally , check that the territory never dries out , but keep off waterlogged soil , which can damage the roots .
After planting and until the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are about three days sometime , fecundate with a * * balanced fertilizer three or four times a year . * * After that , once or twice a year is enough .
Warning
mangosteen take roughly 8 to 12 years before they begin fruiting .
Fruit and Harvest
Get quick for a delay because mangosteen tree typically take their time before fruit , unremarkably when they are 8 to 12 years old . The bloom seem at the top of a shoot , ordinarily after a dry spell .
Fruit is quick to harvest about 100 to 120 days after flowering , depending on environmental condition .
