Because of its slow growth the African mangosteen can be just as impressive if grown in large pots or planters.

Description:

In East Africa the African Mangosteen (Garcinia livingstonei) can mature into a small or large tree ranging between 18m to 25m tall. It has a twisted trunk and most young branches come out at right angles to the stem. These young branches are thick and woody, and contain yellow to red resin.

The stem is dark-brown or nearly black with flaking bark. Old bark is dark-grey, but the overall impression is of a light yellow-grey. The inner bark contains concentrated yellow, sticky, bitter latex.

The tough and leathery dark green-blue leaves have whitish veins and generally come out in whorls of three. They can be variable in shape but are usually egg or lance-shaped.

Anytime from August to February clusters of scented greenish-white or yellow flowers appear in the leaf axils on old wood. Both male and bisexual flowers are produced, each with a different structure. Male flowers resemble pincushions and bisexual flowers are green with shiny ovaries.

The fruits are bright orange and about 5cm across. The thin skin is smooth and glossy and separates easily from the flesh to reveal a layer of orange pulp surrounding the 1 or 2 seeds enclosed in a hard coating. The edible flesh contains a yellow-orange juice that is sticky but pleasant, with a sweet to acid taste. The unripe pulp can contain latex.

Ecology

The flowers are full of nectar, which attracts many kinds of insects that pollinate them. The leaves are very palatable to game and the plants are usually heavily browsed.

The delicious fruits are sought after by animals, which disperse the seeds. The seeds are enclosed in a hard coat, well suited to protecting the delicate embryo on its journey through the digestive system of the animal that ate the fruit.

History & Interesting Facts:

African Mangosteen Picture courtesy Ton Rulkens from flickrThe genus Garcinia includes some 200 species which occur mainly in Asia. The name commemorates Laurent Garcin (1683-1751), a French botanist who was active in India, where the genus is particularly diverse. The specific epithet ‘livingstonei’ honours the explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873), who made one of the first records of the tree.

Mangosteen species are found in the Sunda Island (Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia and Malaysia) and the Moluccas or Spice Islands (Indonesia) in tropical Asia. They were spread to the Philippines, Burma and India, and further to other parts of the world. In 1789 Mangosteens were introduced to England, and seedlings were introduced to Australia in 1854. And today mangosteens can be found growing throughout the tropics.

Where are African Mangosteens grown commercially?

Most of the commercial production of mangosteens occurs in Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Mayaysia, the Phillipines; and Thailand which is the major producer in this region.

The African Mangosteen is also grown commercially in Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Australia.

Where is the African Mangosteen native to?

The African mangosteen is widespread in the warmer parts of Africa, and can be found growing wild in Angola, Botswana, Burkina, Cameroon, Caprivi Strip, Comoros, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Senegal, Somalia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe.

In South Africa the tree is protected and is National Tree List No: 486, and it spreads from just north of Durban to quite far up into the Limpopo and Zambezi Valleys.

Varieties:

There are some varieties that have smaller seeds and more pulp, but no named varieties or selections are available at local nurseries. Superior varieties can be grafted onto seedling rootstocks and this is the method most people use to get earlier fruiting.

Medicinal:

The plant is used traditionally in the treatment of diarrhoea, and today research is being undertaken on Garcinia livingstonei and we know that it contains various chemical constituents belonging to biflavonoids, benzophenones and xanthones. It is reported to possess beneficial pharmacological activities as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and cytotoxicity.

Garcinia livingstonei is used in traditional medicine to treat variety of diseases including diarrhoea, diabetes, parasitic infections, microbial infections, and other ailments.

Health Benefits:

The fruit pulp is a good source of carbohydrates, iron and zinc. It also contains Protein, Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B3.

In the Kitchen:

Mangosteen fruit is consumed fresh, or fermented into a pleasant alcoholic beverage.  It can also be canned, frozen or processed into juice, jam preserve, and syrup.

Once the seeds are removed, the flesh can be sundried and stored like a pitted prune.

In the Garden:

The African mangosteen deserves a place in any warm, subtropical garden.

Because the tree grows slowly, it grows well in a pot and remains manageable in small gardens for a long time. Young plants are pyramidal in shape and can be used for many years as a fascinating and beautiful evergreen shrub.

With time it can grow to 5 to 10 m high with a spread of 5m. The form of the tree resembles a piece of angular modern sculpture, and the leaves are an almost unique shade of deep blue-green. The fruits are memorably delightful for gardeners, birds, game and other wildlife.

Garcinia livingstonei Cultivation:

What is the best climate for the African Mangosteen?

The African mangosteen is widespread in the warmer parts of Africa. It grows well in warm and humid environment.

In its range temperature is a unifying feature, and the tree flourishes in areas like the Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal where winters (as far as they exist) are warm and summers are hot to very hot.

Can the African Mangosteen tolerate cold?

This tree is notably sensitive to cold and cannot tolerate temperatures below 5°C. And if temperatures drop below 20°C growth slows down.

What are the soil requirements for growing African Mangosteen?

In the wild trees are found on sandy or dry rocky sites as well as in coastal areas where the soils vary from deep sands to heavily alluvial soils along riverbanks. Sandy alluvial soils are unsuitable and sand low in humus contribute to low yields.

Alluvial soils are soils deposited by surface water. You'll find them along rivers, in floodplains and deltas, stream terraces, and areas called ‘alluvial fans’. Alluvial soil is one of the best soils, requiring the least water due to its high porosity. The consistency of alluvial soils ranges from drift sand to rich loamy soils and silt clays.

The trees thrive in slightly acidic, deep, porous soils rich in organic matter and nutrients, and where there is good drainage.

The plants do not grow well in very alkaline soil that has a high pH, where they may develop nutritional deficiencies, particularly zinc.

How much water does the African Mangosteen require?

In its natural range the African mangosteen encounters widely varying rainfall from about 200 to 1000mm a year.  However, they grow best in regions where there is well distributed rainfall throughout the year with an annual rainfall of 1000 to 1200mm.

Young, and newly planted trees must be watered regularly, but be careful of overwatering as standing water over the roots can kill the plant.

Potted plants will need more frequent watering than those growing in the ground.

Mulching will keep the soil moist for longer and also help to keep down the weeds. Never place mulch up against the stems of plants.

Is the African Mangosteen drought hardy?

Although established trees can tolerate dry seasons of as long as five months with ease, dry periods of more than 15 days can have a negative impact on yield.

How to fertilise the African Mangosteen

To ensure goof fruit production fertilise your trees every three to four months with a complete fruit tree fertiliser. Young trees can be fed more often to speed up growth.

Container plants also do better if fed on a regular basis.

Harvesting and Storing:

Most trees will take around 4 to 6 years before they start bearing fruit. In South Africa, this fruiting period occurs between November–February. Ripening typically happens over a two-week period and then is finished for the year.

Ripeness is gauged by the full development of colour and a slight softening of fruit. Harvesting may be done when the fruits are slightly under-ripe; however, they must be fully mature or they will not ripen after picking.

Pick the fruit gently by hand or by means of a cutting pole as it bruises easily. Ripe fruits can be kept for 3 to 4 weeks in a cool place. 

Propagation:

Trees are easily propagated by seed, but because of their slow growth, it usually takes five to six years to reach fruiting age.

Sow into trays or small pots in good, well-drained soil and keep in a shady position. The seeds sprout in one or two weeks and must be watered three to four times a week.

The percentage of seed germination is directly related to the weight of the seed, fully developed seeds should be chosen for planting.

The seedlings grow very slowly taking up to two years before they can be transplanted into the ground.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

Healthy trees are relatively free of pests and diseases.

Fruit Flies

During the fruiting period fruit flies may become a problem in some years.

Fruit flies emerge in early summer, so you need to start spraying, putting out fruit fly bait stations, or both, every two weeks throughout spring and summer. This is especially important if the weather remains warm and sunny.

Gardeners can monitor fruit fly by using fruit fly traps, and commercial pheromone traps are available at cooperatives. Pheromones are chemical compounds that are produced and secreted and that influence the behaviour and development of other members of the same species. Chemical control pesticides registered specifically for baiting stations are available at garden centres.

An environmentally friendly product by Efekto: Eco Fruit Fly Bait GF-120 is excellent for baiting stations. It consists of a plant protein and sugar formulation with Spinosad as the active ingredient. Spinosad is derived from a soil organism, making GF-120 one of the safest pesticide products available.

Various sprays are also available for fruit fly like Neem. Its active ingredient is Azadirachtin from neem seeds and it is used to control a wide range of insects (up to 200 insect types).

Leaf Caterpillar

In the larval stage the leaf caterpillar feeds on young leaves and shoots, and in young trees or if populations are high, the caterpillars may eat all the leaves and even cause the death of the tree.

Regular applications of registered insecticides, like Margaret Roberts Biological Caterpillar Insecticide are essential to control this pest.

Leaf Miner

Leaf miner larvae feed on young shoots. The larvae tunnels in the epidermis, and if left untreated may cause the death of the tree. These can be controlled by registered insecticides that contain Bacillus thuringiensi, like Margaret Roberts Biological Caterpillar Insecticide.

Fruit Borer

The larvae of the fruit borer burrow into the fruit to feed and grow before moving out of the fruit and pupating into the soil to become beetles. These can be controlled by destroying all the affected fruits.

Stem Canker

The disease infects branches and stems. The leaves of the infected trees wilt and drop; causing the tree to die-off. Infected trees should be eradicated and burned to stop the spread of the disease.