Clusiaceae
How to identify a lemon drop mangosteen tree
Garcinia intermedia
A small orange-yellow fruit with tart, lemony-sweet pulp. Considerably easier and faster to grow than mangosteen, making it a popular introduction to Garcinia for enthusiast growers.
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 lemon drop mangosteen is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Central America (Costa Rica region)
- USDA zones
- 10-11
- Climate
- Tropical to warm subtropical, humid; more heat and humidity tolerant, and notably faster-growing, than true mangosteen — though still frost sensitive.
- 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 4-6 yrs
- Propagation
- Seed; grafting used by specialty nurseries.
Relatives in the Clusiaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
- MangosteenGarcinia mangostana
- MunduGarcinia dulcis
- ImbeGarcinia livingstonei
- False mangosteenGarcinia xanthochymus
- Button mangosteenGarcinia prainiana
- BacupariGarcinia gardneriana
Map your lemon drop mangosteen trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides