Mangosteen's in California?

[bubba]

In our Post for other sites a poster gave a site called The Cloudforest Cafe.It is a good site but one poster was describing Mangosteen's growing like wild flowers in Southern California. I admit to limited knowledge on Mangosteen's but thought they were only possible in the Key's and could take virtually no cool air whatsoever.Is this Poster going overboard or is there a cold hardy variety growing in California?

[aussiearoids]

He's dreaming !

[MattyB]

Uh, maybe Mangos and some family named the Steins.

[paulgila]

no way.

[osideterry]

The Cloudforest Cafe site is primarily for tropical growers in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. They probably just think we can grow anything and everything.

Just like we think folks in Hawaii and Queensland can grow anything. We're such buffoons.

[chris78]

"Mangosteen's growing like wild flowers in Southern California" Oh yah in someone's HEATED greenhouse!!!

The true mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana is very tropical and is hard to grow in climates like Miami...But

there are mangosteen relitives that are quite cold hardy like Garcinia livingstonei, tinctoria/dulcis and spicata...which will tolerate cool and even frost..... but none of their fruit comes no where close to the true mangosteen....

[_Keith]

This is super dreaming. Even in Miami, people have to grow them in greenhouses, aka Fairchid Gardens.

[Eric in Orlando]

I planted G. benthamii, , Himalayan Mangosteen outside here last year. It tolerated low 30sF last winter without any damage.

[fastfeat]

In our Post for other sites a poster gave a site called The Cloudforest Cafe.It is a good site but one poster was describing Mangosteen's growing like wild flowers in Southern California. I admit to limited knowledge on Mangosteen's but thought they were only possible in the Key's and could take virtually no cool air whatsoever.Is this Poster going overboard or is there a cold hardy variety growing in California?

Perhaps this was the article that caused the buzz?:

http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/forum/39187.html

This tree is a Garcinia species but not a mangosteen. I will try to get some pics when I get to CA next week.

As others have noted, even SoFla is too cold to grow these without a greenhouse--truly a tropical species.

[aussiearoids]

Mongosteens grow best in the shade of Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis and protected by several huge clumps of Crytostachys renda .

[bubba]

fastfeat,The pertinent topic in Cloudforest was "Growing starfruit"by Jack dated Oct.23,2008 and as responded to in pertinent part by Brian on Nov.5,2008 and titled Star Friut(sic).

[fiji jim]

Mongosteens grow best in the shade of Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis and protected by several huge clumps of Crytostachys renda .

That sounds about right.

All these plants love water

[aussiearoids]

Mongosteens grow best in the shade of Breadfruit Artocarpus altilis and protected by several huge clumps of Crytostachys renda .

That sounds about right.

All these plants love water

And lots of it , and constant hot temps , never in single digits on the C scale ..

just noticed I called them Mongosteens !! duh me MONGO make boo boo ..

its to hot here ,, my brain has fried

[Walter John]

wot's a mangosteen ?

[fastfeat]

fastfeat,The pertinent topic in Cloudforest was "Growing starfruit"by Jack dated Oct.23,2008 and as responded to in pertinent part by Brian on Nov.5,2008 and titled Star Friut(sic).

Bubba--

Will look it up.

Now starfruit, Averrhoa carambola (Oxalidaceae) will grow and fruit in milder areas of SoCal. Still wouldn't classify it as "growing like a weed", though the related weed, Oxalis canaliculata, DOES grow like, well, a weed...

Edited November 15, 2008 by fastfeat

[fiji jim]

wot's a mangosteen ?

Wal,

Mangosteen are delicious, dark purple when ripe and size of an average apple with white flesh in segments inside.

They are common in s-e-asia and usually served as a refresher after hot spicy food to clean your pallet before deserts.

Sometimes called the icecream fruit.

Supurb and now trendy with the natural health as it has many positive health qualities and is also sold as an extract for daily use like a tonic.

You should find it for sale somewhere in Brissy from an asian food market area like the valley.

Jim

[ariscott]

I haven't planted mine yet... waiting for my banana and papaya to get big enough to shade it in my orchad area. Other gracinia though, are doing VERY WELL in the full sun.

Regards, Ari

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

In our Post for other sites a poster gave a site called The Cloudforest Cafe.It is a good site but one poster was describing Mangosteen's growing like wild flowers in Southern California. I admit to limited knowledge on Mangosteen's but thought they were only possible in the Key's and could take virtually no cool air whatsoever.Is this Poster going overboard or is there a cold hardy variety growing in California?

Bubba,

I post the Cloudforest website a lot... never saw a post that someone said Mangosteens grew like wildflowers in So Cal.

Can you provide a link?

Someone sarcasticly mentioned one growing under breadfruit tree? Now thats funny. Breadfruit leaves get damage below 48f

Though I do have a breadfruit tree growing here in Modesto... it gets pulled under protection when the weathe gets cold... though its still outside right now.

Here is a photo of my breadfruit tree with my 20 ft cherimoya and 10 ft plumeria in the background.

Only the breadfruit tree gets protection.

Jeff

[bubba]

Jeff, Please look at Post 11 in this Post for details of the Cloudforest.It was titled Starfruit.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Jeff, Please look at Post 11 in this Post for details of the Cloudforest.It was titled Starfruit.

Ok.... Heres what I got still don't see where anyone say anything about Mangosteens growing like weeds in socal.

Jeff

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

post is below cut and pasted from cloudforest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Star Friut

I was at my friends Moms house the other day for the first time shes from Vietnam. I couldnt believe my eyes, her front and back yard was like my home but in 10 more years later ...

her Garden was on ROIDS...lol

Here FN Star fruit was about 17 feet tall and tons of fruit that I picked and shared with friends. Damn sweet she is going to give me some branches so i can root the ...rooting hormones....She has 10 dragon friut as trees and Mangosteen,Cherrys, and tons of exotic fruits....a huge letchy tree...i was blown away ive seen cool house but this was insane.

I have also Plumeria around 150 and 15 different colors...and im now adding Star fruit trees to my collection. Try to buy all your trees from California Rare Friut Growers Association they have top notch trees that are ready for the ground and they will friut...they are pros. also here is the best fert on the planet. www.sprayandgrow.com

use Bills perfect Fertilizer coco wet and spray and grow this will help your friut trees fruit no joke.... ive used this for 14 years

Later Brian Orange County California age 39

The above followup was added by Brian on November 05, 2008 at 7:12 pm PST.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Star Fruit

The liklihood of growing Mangosteen in Southern California is about as likely as finding chickens living happily on Mars.As a result of this statement,I can only conclude that your mommy's jakfruit farm is right behind her coconut plantation.I think you live a little too close to Didny Land.

The above followup was added by keith austin on November 11, 2008 at 6:06 pm PST.

[ariscott]

Someone sarcasticly mentioned one growing under breadfruit tree? Now thats funny. Breadfruit leaves get damage below 48f

Though I do have a breadfruit tree growing here in Modesto... it gets pulled under protection when the weathe gets cold... though its still outside right now.

Here is a photo of my breadfruit tree with my 20 ft cherimoya and 10 ft plumeria in the background.

Only the breadfruit tree gets protection.

Jeff

He wasn't being sarcastic at all... He lives in the wet tropics, where he gets 3800mm rain a year. I live in the monsoonal tropics, and only get 2000mm rain a year. Here, we don't have to protect our breadfruit tree... they grow like weeds. Mangosteen on the other hand, needs protection while young.

Regards, Ari

Edited November 20, 2008 by ariscott