How to identify a mundu tree

A yellow-orange fruit with tangy-sweet pulp, most often used in preserves and cooking. Far less demanding of climate than mangosteen but also far less widely known.

Field marks

These features are typical of the genus Garcinia, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.

• Leaves are simple and opposite (in pairs), usually thick, leathery and glossy.
• Cut twigs, bark or unripe fruit of many species ooze a yellow latex, a strong clue for the genus.
• Fruit usually keeps a persistent calyx (the green cap at the stem end); mangosteen's is a round, dark purple berry.

Check a photo

Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If mundu is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.

Where and when you will find it

Origin / cultivation history

Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand

USDA zones

10b-11

Climate

Tropical humid lowland.

Fruiting season

Season not documented; check local sources

How often grown

Rare in cultivation

A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.

Growing it: seedling or grafted?

A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.

Years to first fruit

Seedling ~5-8 yrs

Propagation

Seed; the species is dioecious in cultivation, so both male and female trees are typically needed for reliable fruit set.

Relatives in the Clusiaceae family

Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.

• MangosteenGarcinia mangostana
• Lemon drop mangosteenGarcinia intermedia
• ImbeGarcinia livingstonei
• False mangosteenGarcinia xanthochymus
• Button mangosteenGarcinia prainiana
• BacupariGarcinia gardneriana

More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides