LONGAN

Dimocarpus longana

family: Sapindaceae

Longan is a symmetrical, evergreen tree, native to India and SE Asia.

While it can grow as tall as 100'+ in its native environment, maximum heights in FL have been found to be about 30-40' tall.

The crown tends to be round or oblong in shape, and the bark is corkie.

The Longan is a very close relative to the Lychee and the Rambutan.   Longan is somewhat cold tolerant, with damage occurring at approximately 24-28° F   on a  mature tree.  Lychee and Rambutan will each suffer considerable damage at around 35° F.

CULTIVARS:

Kohala is the most commonly grown commercial type because its precise harvest season is more economically efficient.

However,  Biew Kieuw is often preferred by home orchardists because it is sweeter, has smaller seeds, and a longer fruiting season.

BLOOMS:

Heaviest bloom time is Feb/Mar to April in South Florida, though Longan sometimes blooms off season in late August as well.

Fruit matures in 140-190 days (4.5-6 months) after blooming. Late July to September is peak harvest time.

FRUIT:

Longan produces a small, brown sweet fruit, typically the size of a quarter, that tastes something like a nutty grape.

The brown, leathery exterior shell is not eaten, but contains what looks like a peeled grape with a single seed inside. The sweet pulp is whitish and translucent and does not adhere to the seeds.

Video: how to peel and eat a longan

video courtesy of Wikipedia
By rosatrieu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

WATERING

And even though the longan is tolerant of dry soil conditions, regular irrigation from flowering stage to harvest will give the best quality fruit and the highest yields.

That said, withholding or reducing watering during late summer and early fall tends to reduce excessive growth and promote spring flowers.

A  7G air-layered tree should be starting to bear.

ORDER HERE:

Please check with us for availability to ensure timely delivery.  Growers will have these:  it's a question of how soon.
All longans are air-layered.