Longan Fruit Tree

Native to the highlands of India, Sri Lanka and southeast Asia, longan trees (Dimocarpus longan) are evergreen tropical trees that grow over 40 feet tall and wide.

Features

The longan tree bears glossy, dark green compound leaves composed of four to eight leaflets. Even if it never produces fruit, it makes an attractive tropical shade or street tree. The small, yellowish, plumelike flower clusters occur in late spring with fruits ripening by mid- to late summer. The bark is coarsely smooth and pale cocoa brown.

Growing Requirements

• Plant longan in fertile, well-drained soil in a garden location that receives at least 10 hours of direct sunlight daily, according to Margaret Barwick in "Tropical and Subtropical Trees." Some shading from intense hot tropical midday summer sun is beneficial. The tree is susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, so an acidic topsoil at least 3 ft. deep is best. Maintain a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch over the root zone. Longan is not drought- or salt spray-tolerant.

Considerations

• Like the closely related lychee tree, longan trees tend to flower more profusely and yield better fruit crops when the preceding winter has been cool and somewhat dry. Barwick notes that winters with frequent light frosts tend to increase the subsequent spring production of flowers. Fruit production is diminished after warm and humid winters during which temperatures had not dropped below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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