Sapindaceae

How to identify a rambutan tree

Nephelium lappaceum · also called chôm chôm (Vietnamese), เงาะ / ngor (Thai)

A bright red or yellow, spiny-haired fruit closely related to lychee, with sweet translucent flesh around the seed. A major Southeast Asian commercial and dooryard crop, increasingly grown in South Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Field marks

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

Leaves are pinnately compound, with a few pairs of leaflets along a central stalk.
Fruit hangs in clusters. Rambutan skin is covered in soft, hair-like spines; pulasan has short, thick knobs instead.

Check a photo

Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If rambutan 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: Malay Archipelago
USDA zones: 10b-11
Climate: Tropical humid lowland; wants high, consistent rainfall (2000mm+) and humidity, sensitive to drought and frost.
Fruiting season: June, July, August and September (typical, Northern Hemisphere)
How often grown: Widely grown

Fruit is the most reliable way to confirm an identification, so June, July, August and September is the easiest window. Outside it, rely on the leaves and the overall habit. 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 5-6 yrs; grafted/budded 2-3 yrs
Propagation: Air-layering (marcotting), budding/grafting; seed used only for rootstock.

Relatives in the Sapindaceae family

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

Map your rambutan trees

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