Mangosteen

Often describe as one of the world’s best flavored fruit, the mangosteen is highly esteemed in Southeast Asia.

The mangosteen is an important export crop to many international markets, fresh fruits command a high price in Hong Kong, Japan and Europe.

Mangosteen belongs to family Clusiaceae, formerly known as Guttiferae which includes 9 genera and 86 species. Genus Garcinia has 68 species and the most esteemed member of this genus is Garcinia mangostana, the mangosteen.

Mangosteen is found only in cultivation and only female trees are known.

The tree is evergreen and grows to a height of 10-25 m with a dense canopy of large dark green, opposite leaves that are ovoid to oblong and have short petioles.

The mangosteen grows in high rainfall areas over 2,500 mm per year, because of the high humidity, few commercial crops can be economically cultivated.

It growth in shade on well drained, slightly acidic soil that is rich organic matter.

Mangosteen is commonly propagated by seeds, since its seeds are azygotic and produces trees like mother tree. Seeds are formed from nuclellar tissues of carpel walls of fruit.

The tree is a slow growing evergreen. It thrives best warm, humid, rainy climates with few seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature.
Mangosteen