Garcinia mangostana

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana )
Scientific name	Garcinia mangostana
Genus	Garcinia
Family	Clusiaceae
Order	Malpighiales
Fruit type	Berry
Growth form	Slow-growing evergreen tree
Climate and hardiness	Humid tropical
Mature height	6–25 m
Mature width	5–12 m
Soil	Deep, acidic, organic soil with excellent but continuous drainage
Water	High moisture demand; does not tolerate drought or standing water well
Sun	Partial shade when young, full sun or filtered sun when mature
Germination	10–30 days from fresh seed; seed is recalcitrant
Years to fruit	8–15 years from seed; grafted or clonal trees may be earlier
Pollination	Usually apomictic; flowers are functionally female and fruit set does not require a male tree
Harvest	Seasonal wet-tropical crop; commonly summer in cultivation

Description

Mangosteen is a slow-growing Southeast Asian tree with thick purple rind and white segmented arils. Its narrow environmental requirements make it a demanding but highly prized tropical fruit.

The accepted genus, family, and order are Garcinia, Clusiaceae, and Malpighiales. Common names may cover related taxa; check the scientific name before transferring cultivation advice.

Cultivation

Mangosteen is a humid equatorial forest tree requiring warmth, atmospheric humidity, and evenly moist acidic soil. It is unusually sensitive to drought, root disturbance, salt, and cool weather.

It is a rainforest-edge and lowland humid-tropical species that dislikes cold, dry air, salt, root disturbance, and abrupt changes in soil moisture. Young plants benefit from filtered shade and a deep, warm root zone. Mulch is useful, but drainage must remain open beneath it.

Soil and water

Deep, acidic, organic soil with excellent but continuous drainage.

Sun and humidity

Partial shade when young, full sun or filtered sun when mature. Native habitat and airflow matter as much as light intensity; avoid enclosing humid foliage without ventilation.

Seasonal changes

The crop follows warm, humid seasonal conditions. A mild dry interval may precede flowering, but drought can cause severe stress and fruit drop. Maintain steady moisture from flowering through fruit enlargement and protect plants from cool winter air in subtropical regions.

Propagation

Fresh seed is the main method and must be sown promptly. Seedlings are genetically narrow because the seed is generally apomictic, but they are still slow to establish. Clonal propagation is less routine than seedling production.

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest

Seasonal wet-tropical crop; commonly summer in cultivation. Flowering and ripening are strongly affected by latitude, cultivar, rootstock, rainfall, and temperature; local records are more useful than a single universal calendar.

Fruit and uses

Eat the white arils fresh after cutting the rind. Fruit is also used in juice, preserves, desserts, and frozen products. The rind is intensely colored and has traditional uses but is strongly astringent.

Photos

Field view or fruit detail of Garcinia mangostana. Wikimedia Commons file page.

References

• Purdue NewCROP: Mangosteen
• Useful Tropical Plants: Garcinia mangostana
• UF/IFAS: Mangosteen

Image credits

• Mangosteen fruit on the tree.jpg — Wikimedia Commons file page; creator and license are recorded on the source page.
• Mangosteen scale v2.jpg — Wikimedia Commons file page; creator and license are recorded on the source page.