Tropical Fruit at a Glance–Longan
by Jeff Wasielewski, Laura Vasquez and Jonathan H. Crane

Common name: Longan

Botanical name: Dimocarpus longan

Family: Sapindaceae

Good varieties: Kohala

About the fruit: The longan peel is a dull brown and has sweet, earthy, textured pulp surrounding a single seed. The fruit is eaten fresh, as well as and canned.

Season: Main season is June through August; although some fruit may be available off-season.

Why you should consider it: The tree is a handsome addition to a landscape and makes a fine shade tree if left to grow to its natural size.

Be aware: The blooms are sometimes attacked by the lychee webworm.

Pruning: The longan can be difficult to prune as it tends to have a large amount of upright growth. Remove strong verticals and encourage lateral growth.

Planting: Make sure not to plant too deep. Dig the hole bigger than the container but refill the hole with the native soil so the plant’s first flare root is at or just above ground level. Protect the tree from mechanical damage (string trimmers and mowers).

Fertilizer: Use a low nitrogen fertilizer two to three times during the rainy season (May to October). Drench with chelated iron (EDDHA) and use a micro-element foliar spray two to three times from May to October.

For more information see: Longan growing in the Florida home landscape.

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