The mangosteen tree is very picky about where, when, and how it grows. Considering it produces the best tasting fruit there is, many have tried to adapt the mangosteen tree to their habitats with only few successes. In fact, the only are of the United States currently growing mangosteen trees is Hawaii. Thailand is where mangosteen trees were probably first domesticated and the tropical climate is where mangosteen trees prefer to grow.

The mangosteen tree requires the right temperature which is between 40 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It also requires a humidity of about 50% with a high amount of rainfall. New mangosteen trees require shading for about the first 3-4 years. The mangosteen tree also requires soil that is rich in organic materials.

The mangosteen tree is also a very slow grower. It takes about 10 years for it’s first production of fruit. Timing for the mangosteen tree’s growth may be slow, but it’s seeds loose viability fairly fast. In fact, they will only remain intact for 3-5 days outside of the fruit.

Mangosteen trees can also come under the attack of insects, fungus, and diseases. However, this is one area where the mangosteen tree is not so difficult. There are relatively few harmful insects, fungus, and disease that attack the mangosteen tree. These are the usually munching caterpillar, and burrowing ant paired with a couple of fungi and a problem called gamboge.

However, if you stick with it and persevere you are in for a nice yield. The mangosteen tree can produce around 200 fruits its first season. By the time the tree has fully matured it will produce around 500 fruits. The amount of fruit gets higher and higher until it reaches around 1,000 to 2,000 fruit. Though some may produce more that seems to be the general peak. The best part is that it can produce fruit past 100 years of age.

So, why do so many want to adapt mangosteen trees to their climates anyway? Well, besides producing the “Queen of Fruit,” there are a number of reasons. One is that the mangosteen fruit is claimed to have many healing properties. They have been used for many years on a number of medical discomforts.