The same people who said it would never grow here? Also said Cacao would never grow in soucal even in summer. THEN, two people posted of their Chocolate trees in pots doing very well in low humidity soucal summers. Looked perfect. One was 6'.

Let me tell you..when experts get together- they start to mimic each other and say things like "such and such variety is the best" To each his own,so how can somebody say that about taste? Same for "it can't be grown". The list is huge of what cant be grown's all over California- GROWING!

As far as Mangosteen? Plant where it gets lots of sun,protection from winds,and always keep well watered and fertilized. If you have a frost-- COVER!..never let any young marginal tropical fruit tree take a frost. After 2 years or so,they all become like different animals..hardier.

Also to add, the flavor is a little bit tangy, like peach or mandarin, and the perfumed aroma almost seems like it could be in the lychee family (though it is not the same lychee).

And there were a few segments inside the fruit (smaller segments) that did not have seeds.

I would think it would probably be better to grow it inside a greenhouse for the first few years.

If you have a greenhouse,sure better to grow it to a larger size. Its always better to go with a larger marginal tropical in our climate.

Most people in the Los Angeles to San Diego region are not that familiar with greenhouses, because normally we don't need them (Winters are pretty mild here). Mangosteen may be one of the rare plants that could benefit from being in a greenhouse for the first few years of its life before going into the ground, even in San Diego. A mistake many rare fruit grower enthusiasts may have made is not using a greenhouse and trying to plant the little mangosteen seedling into the ground outside unprotected. And then they think mangosteen can't grow here. Fruit trees, including tropical, become hardier and much more resilient after they have had a few years to get bigger and more established. It will also be important to put an open container of water in the greenhouse to add humidity.

Somethings have no chance in California- like Breadfruit or Durian. After that? You never know. Coconuts have fruited in the California desert. You just might get Mangosteen in coastal San Diego to take after some grow out in your greenhouse. Its so much better to plant something like that 6' or much more.

Try it.

Jackfruit is in the same family as Durian and Breadfruit, and there are numerous reports of Jackfruit being able to grow in Southern California.

In an old archived Cloudforest Gardener thread Richard Primbs claimed he was growing a Durian in Encinitas, California, not far from the ocean. He had the tree shipped from Hawaii, coming in a 5 gallon pot in the Spring. He replanted it into a 15 gallon pot and it grew another foot to become a little over 5 feet tall by the end of September. He said it did not really seem to mind the climate's lack of humidity (but keep in mind this was very close to the coast and the air is even drier in other parts of Southern California). By the end of January the following year he wrote in another post that the durian tree, as well as a couple of mangosteens he was growing, had seemed to be taking the cold but when the temperatures hit the mid 30's they took a turn for the worse and appeared to be almost dead. Apparently it did survive. By December he had moved the durian into a greenhouse (as yet unheated) and wrote "The poor durian is hanging in there but it doesn't look as good as it should."

Durian can grow fine in Miami, Florida.

In yet another thread Richard Primbs wrote "My mangosteens were doing great in full shade but then I decided to move them out into the sun -- and that wasn't such a good idea. Also I gave them some foliar fertilizer, and they took a turn for the worse..."

Two years later, on December 28: "The mangosteens are still sitting on the patio -- with no protection whatsoever. They are doing fine and look absolutely the same as they did during the summer."

There's something kind of seductive about the flavor of mangosteen, I'm feeling an urge to eat one right now. Kind of strange, it's not really the type of fruit I would want to eat more than one in one sitting.

I'm not a huge fan of peach or mango, but I think if you really like those fruits you will really like mangosteen. There's kind of a sharp taste too that's possibly a little bit comparable to passion fruit. There's also an aroma that is very agreeable, somewhat similar to the floral quality of jasmine (but more complex), sweet, with maybe a slightly ethereal quality. Chemically, I think there's probably some cyclohexenones or ketone in there because it sort of has an "intoxicating" quality to it that's reminiscent to the type of fragrance of grapefruit or raspberry (though it certainly does not smell like either of these two fruits). A quick look at a scientific study on mangosteen says that the main volatile components are hexyl acetate (structurally similar to the fragrance of banana or pear) and hexenol (said to have a delicate fatty-fruity, woody and fermented profile) and α-copaene (which has an aromatic quality akin to camphor or sandalwood). Same paper also says "The fruit of the mangosteen is sweet and tangy, juicy, somewhat fibrous, Often described as a subtle delicacy, the flesh bears an exceptionally mild aroma". Another book has this entry: "The aroma of mangosteen is contributed by 52 volatile compounds, 28 of which have been indentified. In terms of quantity. the major compounds are (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol (27%), octane (15%), hexyl acetate (8%) and α-copaene (7%). The main contributors to the mangosteen flavour are hexyl acetate, (Z)-hex-3-enyl-acetate (cis-hex-3-enyl-acetate) and (Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol. The major groups of compounds found in mangosteen aril and alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, esters, hydrocarbons, terpenes, etc." A little thing that stood out to me, one of the aldehydes listed is benzaldehyde, which smells like cherries, and I believe I can detect a slight note of cherries in the aroma profile of mangosteen. It seems like mangosteen has all the complex aroma notes of a fine wine.

sorry for all the details, just trying to precisely qualify the flavor of mangosteen, since most people have never had the opportunity to taste it fresh, and it really does have a striking (though subtle) flavor.

The flavor has a very "cooling" quality to it, and this is noted in traditional Southeast Asian culture.

In a thread on reddit titled "Where to find mangosteen?", someone commented "They're too tropical to grow here", to which beardsareawsome responded "Not true, I am growing one." "I have a thick canopy which keeps things regulated and alive. Go to Exotica Nursery in Vista, CA for a good example. I've gotten everything to fruit, just takes a thick layer of mulch (4ft) to keep those roots warm in the winter."

Heck,I'm going to try Jackfruit in the bay area. I'm germinating seeds right now as of last week.

Parker- Cloudforest said Mangoes could never grow in the bay area. Totally wrong. There is a 12-15' tree in Fremont,my Baileys is now 7' and 5' wide with the rest of the growing season to go. I might get another foot.

The International Fruit Forum will tear you apart if you insist on trying Mangosteen. All experts who are wrong and giving wrong and bad advice.

California has changed..the plants feel it even more than we do. Watch out for that late December blast of cold we have been having the last few..and you have the rest of the year home free.

And yes- a compost pile generating heat..not easy to balance that...but one guy is doing it huh?

The way to do it is to wait several years until the plants are 4-5 feet tall and well established before being planted in the ground outside.

Even after that, a little bit of covering during the coldest 2 weeks in winter will go a long way. And of course, planting in the right spot is important too, away from wind that could dry out the smaller young leaves, somewhere that is warm but receives at least partial shade overhead, especially if you can find an ideal spot that will get shade during the mid afternoon during the summer. Make sure the spot gets as much sun as possible during the winter when the sun is at an angle from the horizon. (usually the south-facing side against a brick/concrete wall creates a warmer microclimate)

One thought I had, for giving mangosteen a jump start, might be to grow a different Garcinia species, Fukugi (G. subelliptica), which is a common traditional ornamental in Okinawa Japan, and then graft mangosteen wood onto that.

http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=ID1999001088

The grafting success rate of mangosteen onto mangosteen rootstock was 68%, while the success rate for mangosteen onto Fukugi was 11%. They say that Fukugi is not is not recommended as mangosteen rootstock because its grafted seedlings grew slower than seedlings with mangosteen rootstock.

But I am thinking, maybe someone could grow a big Fukugi bush and then years later try grafting Mangosteen onto that. With the rootstock already well established, it should be easy, assuming the graft takes of course.

Outside, in San Diego, Mangostan will not survive...it's a ultratropical plant.

I would love to see a Greenhouse person grow out a Mangosteen or Rambutan to 6' or more...and plant it out in spring in soucal.

I bet the whole "they are too tropical" rule might be broken.

I was just eating some Rambutan I found at the market, coincidentally. I wrapped the seeds in a moist paper towel in a plastic bag and hopefully they will germinate. Lychee was easy to sprout from seed into 5 inch tall plants (just kept them in filtered sunlight/shade and kept the soil moist) but they did not survive the winter outside. So young seedlings are vulnerable to cold.

The Rambutan, if anyone was curious, still had bright red skin and a small number of green hairs (although most of them had browned). It has the aroma of watermelon rind, sweet, the flavor is a little bit like longan but with a familiar tropical note (maybe coconut-pineapple?), and has a slight but distinct sourness. Overall, I think the flavor of lychee is much better than Rambutan. But the exterior of the Rambutan fruit does look very interesting and exotic, like it would be very decorative in a fruit bowl.

I do remember seeing some Rambutan plants at Mimosa nursery. All the tropicals are under shade tarp.

In the Los Angeles/San Diego area, I think it might be possible to grow Rambutan outside in a sheltered spot. There would be a few nights in Winter that would be hard though and it would probably lose its leaves. By sheltered spot, I mean somewhere up against the south side of a wall but surrounded by many other plants and possibly water to help keep the temperatures moderated, and also insulated from wind as well.

I have heard some people say they like Rambutan or Longan more than Lychee, which I find hard to understand. I think they're in the minority though. Just goes to show how subjective personal tastes can be.

Something else that may be of interest, a new technique has been developed in Malaysia that can substantially speed up the growth of young mangosteen trees. Instead of taking 10-12 years to start bearing fruit, this technique allows seedlings to start bearing fruit in just five years after planting. The technique involves simply involves grafting three little mangosteen seedlings together into a single trunk.

http://jakartaglobe.id/archive/new-technique-cuts-mangosteen-growing-time/

The traditional method used to speed up growth was to add a different rootstock (G. xanthochymus ) through inarching. In this way the young mangosteen plant still retains its original root but now it has a new more vigorous root supply. The reason why young mangosteen seedlings are so slow growing and frail is because initially all they have is a single taproot. It takes a few years for the plant to send out other roots.

Also putting mulch around the base of the tree is very important to retain moisture.

I just met with the owner of ONG, a middle aged Vietnamese man with two young daughters. Friendly and extremely knowledgeable. His English is good but not perfect.

I asked him whether he had ever personally seen a mangosteen tree fruit in this area. He answered no, that he had never actually got any of his purple mangosteen plants to fruit yet but that he has heard reports from other people (Vietnamese) that they have gotten fruit from their mangosteen (here in California, I specifically asked him to be sure there was no misunderstanding).

I then asked him if it is possible for mangosteen here to be able to survive without a greenhouse during the winter. He made the impression that it may be possible in certain warmer spots in certain specific neighborhoods, and said he knows of some people in Hacienda (I'm assuming Hacienda Heights) who are growing it outside. (Hacienda Heights is right near the coast in San Diego)

Unfortunately they were all out of Purple Mangosteen, they will not have any more available until next year, or the year after that. He told me 5 or 6 years ago he had 'mesta' mangosteen (a different variety of purple mangosteen which he referred to as "Japanese Mangosteen"). I was very surprised since this variety is so rare. (I verified with him, just to be sure that there was no confusion, that this was indeed a type of Purple Mangosteen he was talking about, with purple colored fruit.)

They do still have "Mexican Mangosteen" for sale.

A few Crotons and coconuts have thrived in microclimates all over soucal. Usually much concrete or asphalt and tall buildings are part of the picture. I have a feeling somebody in the warmer inland areas- not too inland to freeze- out of the fogbelt could do it.

Then again,the Newport Beach coco was in a solid fogbelt for 20 years and lived on minimal care.

Its not easy to do..but it IS easy to try. That's whats great about zone pushing with something plants.

Plus- I think if you are in those climates and love Rambutan or Mangosteen? Building a passive greenhouse around it would be worth it..blend it in to the landscaping,plant some colorful tropical groundcovers under them..why not?

Here's my mine. It's a big one.

It hasn't gone through the Winter yet, so we'll see.

When you do plant it..amend with lots of perlite. That should really help in winter when rains come. They say another El Nino is forming and soucal could get a drenching next winter.

I've "seen it around" (meaning, unsourced comments and I don't even remember where I saw them) that they don't like temperatures below 60-65F, and that they require high humidity. It's a useful reference number -- IF it's true.

finally got it in the ground

will be interesting to see if this mangosteen can survive in SoCal. it's in a fairly sheltered spot from the wind

you can see a lychee tree and tree fern up in the back left corner

It will do great until December. I've had many tender exotics do well in mellow summer Hayward. Fools you. Because when you see them growing well in temps of the low 70's you think it might make it through winter.

I had Santol and Jackfruit do that. Both died their first winter outdoors in ground.

If you really love Mangosteen..you might cover and heat for Dec-Jan at least. You might also clear away more lawn to warm the soil.

It's a bit warmer here than where you are. About 40 miles south of Los Angeles.

Typical nights during the coldest 2 weeks in late December to early January reach a low of about 44 degrees, but the daytime highs can still average around 65 to 70.

I know the Bay Area may not have freeze but it does have prolonged very cool temperatures for a long stretch of weeks in the Winter. And in Southern California the temperatures begin bouncing back up by about the 10nth of February.

Did you think maybe a wall might help to boost the warmth? The way things are,it might make it for you. Its getting harder to find the tropical plant that wont grow in soucal. We get the new migration of old faithful sub tropical soucal plants north. GBOP and Mango just about new here. Never would have seen even a single GBOP here 25 years ago.

The mangosteen got baked in the heat wave over the Summer. I wasn't there but was told the temperatures got up to 105°. Throughout this entire time the mangosteen was kept well-watered, and eventually two chairs were set up around the plant with a shade tarp over it to try to protect it from further heat damage. As you can see, the mangosteen took a big hit.

Amazingly the mangosteen seems like it has begun to recover since the heat wave. It has even put out some new leaf growth, the new leaves are a bit twisted and you can tell they struggled a little bit in the heat.

The September temperatures have still been quite warm, with temperatures in the 80s, so the mangosteen is doing quite well.

Now we'll have to see how it handles the Winter.

You might fertilize it right now. I like to fertilize tropical plants when they flush..its obvious that is a time they want a boost feeding besides the usual schedule.

Wow, I definitely won't try to grow it here. 105F is an average summer day... it hear it hit 120 some parts of our neighborhood this year!

Small Mangosteens need to be in shade until they get large, which can take quite a few years. That damage would have been mainly from the sun and low relative humidity. That temperature in shade wouldn't have been much of an issue while it was getting plenty of water. You need to set up some sort of shade for it for the next half dozen years or so. Mine is under the canopy of some larger trees which can be trimmed back when needed.

taken Nov 10

This is mine today.

tropicbeezent, is that picture in Califorina?

socaloly.I think the problem has been - not enough water. That dry grass around it makes it hard for the tropical and water needy plant to get going.

I have the same problem with my Guava's...trees and shrubs just outcompete them for the water. You really have to target them for extra watering.

Socalnolympia, no it isn't. This is just to show how it's in the shade of larger trees with no full-on sun at any time. Provided it has plenty of water it manages to cope with high temperatures and low humidity. Also, it's on a raised mound so when we have torrential downpours during our wet season it's well drained.

I've had it 3 years and it must have been a few years old when I got it.

It still has the cover on it.

What are the minimum temperatures it's been getting up to that point?

It's been getting down to 48 some nights, but it is covered (although the top is breathable).

It's expected to get down to 42 in the next few days.

The problem with the Los Angeles plant is that it wasn't in perfect healthy going into winter. It didn't have many leaves to start with. If the experiment fails..you will still wonder if a healthy plant would survive since we have had a extremely mild winter for lows so far. El Nino has bumped up night temps.

socalnolympia, pls give an update on your tree. I am interested to give it a try.

The tree did not survive, unfortunately.

Although it was able to start recovering from the heat wave, maybe that was too much for it and weakened it so it was not able to get through the Winter. It was a colder Winter than usual.

Just went to H Mart in Cerritos CA. Found a bag there. The fruit is yummy. Crossing my fingers they well grow. Most seeds are weak. I have pulled about 11 full grown seed for each of them Wish me luck

R.H., would love to know if any of your seeds germinated?

hello everyone Im new here and I was wondering if anyone will tell me everything of the requirement to grow mangosteen. I don't care if it is hard because im willing to do it even it if it take years. I will continue to updated my status once i get everything i need to get started

im from middle of south and north california based on the map

Check out "tropical central valley " on youtube. He's growing the impossible!