Grapes are considered the “Fruit of the Gods,” while durians are considered the “King of Fruit.” Do you know what fruit is considered the “Queen of Fruit?” Well, if you guessed mangosteen you would be right. Yet, don’t feel bad if you didn’t know the answer was mangosteen because growing this fruit is not an easy task for people in most parts of the world. As such, people in the Unites States may not even know that mangosteen fruit exist.

What makes growing mangosteen plants so difficult is because its requirements for survival are so stringent. For instance, it can only be grown in temperatures above 40 degrees and up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, it requires shading of at least 50% for the first few years of its growth. It also requires a high humidity with an average rainfall of above 50 inches.

Hawaii has started growing mangosteen trees. However, importation of mangosteen from Hawaii to the mainland has also been banned due to a fruit fly threat. Other than Hawaii, mangosteen fruit can be very difficult to obtain in the United States. This is a pity since the fruit is said by some to be the best tasting fruit that exists.

It is also said to hold a number of medical benefits to people. In fact, in Southeast Asia growing mangosteen plants and then drying them to ship to India and other countries for medicinal purposes is very common. There the dried fruit is used in different forms to treat dysentery, diarrhea, and other ailments.

Growing mangosteen trees occurs mostly in areas of Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, Honduras, Panama, and now Hawaii. Attempts to grow the mangosteen trees in other climates have not held much success. In fact, mangosteen trees are considered to be “ultra tropical.”