How well do you know the Mangosteen?
Just when you thought you knew everything there is to know about the mangosteen fruit, here are some facts you might not have known.
Name: The latin name for our beloved mangosteen fruit is Garcinia mangostana L. The plant is in the family name Guttiferae and the genus Garcinia is an honor bestowed upon Laurent Garcin by Linaeus for his work as a botanist and naturalist in the 18th century.
Tree: The mangosteen tree is an evergreen, cultivated tree that grows 20-82 feet (6-25 meters) tall and grows in tropical climates. The tree needs approximately 50 inches of annual rainfall. The tree takes 6 to 10 years to mature and produce fruit. The tree has two distinct fruiting seasons with the first being between April and June and the second between July and October. The average yield of a full grown tree is around 500 fruits and can continue fruiting at 100 years old.
Fruit: The fruit has very few pests that infest it and thus pesticides are not needed. As the fruit matures, so do the phytochemicals within the fruit. For example, there have been 3 xanthones identified in the green hull of the fruit that are not found in the ripe fruit. Another example is found in the flavonoid content of the fruit. As the fruit is young or unripe the level of catechins soars, but as the fruit ripens the proanthocyanidin content raises as the catechins levels decrease.
Seeds: Each fruit contains 3 – 5 seeds. The fat content in the seeds is unique in the plant kingdom. Here is the total fatty acid content: 46 – 56% stearate (18:0), Palmitate (16:0), Oleic (18:1) and linoleic (18:2).
Thank you for a great article full of useful and interesting information.
Would you further elaborate on the types of fat found in the seeds since most people are not familiar with the breakdown and meanings.
是的,我非常認同,山竹果的好處!
Great info!! Thanks for the additional facts.
I’ve been asked what the altitude limitations are for growing mangosteen trees in the mountains of the tropics.
(Max height for producing fruit)
Thanks.
Thanks for the new info., which is always good to learn more about our Amazing Mangosteen fruit!!
It has less to do with altitude as it does temperature and humidity. The mangosteen thrives in hot humid climates and really struggles when it gets under 60 degrees and low humidity. Most trees die when it drops below 40°F and 50°F for very long.