Description
An evergreen tree native to Central and South America, Bumpy Lemon Mangosteen grows 5 to 10 meters tall, occasionally to 12 meters.
Leaves long and narrow, dark green, leathery texture.
Flowers creamy white to pale yellow, fleshy. Blooms during the dry season with separate female and male flowers on different trees and a few perfect flowers on each tree.
Fruit egg-shaped, small to medium sized, with rough or bumpy skin, maturing to lemon yellow 3 to 4 months after flowering. Pulp white, juicy with an agreeable, slightly sour flavour surrounds 1 to 3 large seed. Consumed primarily as fresh fruit, but whole fruit is also used to make jam.
Adapted to tropical climates with air temperatures in the range 15 to 35C and annual rainfall between 2500 and 3500 mm. Soil should be free-draining, moderately acid to moderately alkaline. Able to withstand moderate amounts of salt spray, Bumpy Lemon Mangosteen is suited to seaside gardens.
Propagation is usually from seed, which lose their viability quickly and should be planted within a couple of days after removal from the fruit. Seedling trees start bearing fruit when about 3 to 4 years old.
Problem feature: There does not appear to be any records of escape and naturalisation anywhere. [Edit]