Hi Lisa,

I am growing Achachairu from seeds too. Here is what a professional grower told me some time ago:

"Achachairu is one of the easier Garcinias to grow - light shade when young, later full sun. Any decent soil will do - it can grow in a pH range of 4.7 and 6.6. It does like a lot of water but is relatively drought resistant. It's a relatively slow grower and takes about seven years
to fruit from seed."

This plant has been called Garcinia laterifolia in some books. The debate is on whether this is a correct name. Some people call it Bolivian mangosteen.

Tomas

I have a small plant from Sadhu. It has been growing well since I bought it and seemed to take the cold well in the winter. My greenhouse got down to around 40 degrees and it showed no stress.

i have two Garcinias from Sadhu

Achachairu, garcinia laterifolia and cherry mangosteen, Garcinia intermedia

many sources confuse the scientific and common names, they are almost interchangeable and impossible to correctly reference.

Here is a link that might be useful: lets figure out the garcinias

Thanks for the information! That link is very interesting, Boom1.

Here is the tree's label. I took two fallen fruits, since there were no signs saying not to.

There was another Garcinia with fruit, that I thought you all would like to see(G).

Lisa

if anyone can grow it Lisa, you can.
I really need to visit Florida again, I'll bet I could live at the Fairchild for a week before they noticed me. Then I could just move to the next tropical garden (so long as they dont have Mastiffs protecting the fruit).

-Ethan

Ethan, when you do visit, let me know and I'll bring a strong friend to help you shop.

Fairchild is plenty big enough to hide out in, and I have to admit that the drive to the Garden on Le June road is stunning.

Most of Florida is not so beautiful.

I'll be there for the Chocolate Festival in Winter, when it is cool enough to walk the entire property. I'm not very interested in eating Chocolate-sure wish Mangos were ripe in January(VBG).

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Gus and cart

that second picture is mangosteen?

i wonder how old it is and what kind of care they give it.

i live near the broward dade border about 10 - 15 miles west of the beach, i want to grow one but the information about growing them down here is discouraging

Boom1, yes, Mangosteens. They had quite a few of them, all in a greenhouse. Last year at this time this same plant had ripe, red fruits on it. I restrained myself and did not pick any(G).

You could email Fairchild to find out age/care/etc.

The Mangosteens looked very healthy. The Rambutans in the same greenhouse did not look good.

I think you could grow Mangosteens in a greenhouse where you are. I wouldn't try it where I am, in Jupiter.

Their Cacaos, Achacha, Miracle Fruits looked good too.

Lisa

I've been growing the plant Fairchild lists as achachairu for several years now (Sadhu sells the same tree as G. intermedia - as Boom1 noted, it's next to impossible to get consensus on naming Garcinias). My 3-year old potted seedling fruited this year in a tree-shaded location with very little direct sunlight. It's one of my least fussy plants, and the attractive foliage makes it a handsome landscape specimen as well. I believe that the tree could easily be kept in a container indefinitely, so those of you with limited space or incompatible climates should definitely put in on your short list.

Oh, the plant in the second picture is actually a cherapu - the true mangosteens are just behind it and much larger.

I just visited a commercial grower of achachairu in Recife, Brasil. He gave me more or less 3 kilos of fruit and I ate every single one of them at the hotel. In my oppinion, achachairu is better than mangosteen. I wish I knew how to post photos here. Anyone willing to help me? Thank you! Berto

berto,

upload your pictures to photobucket.com
Find the image in your album, copy its "html code" and paste it into your message.

Null...if you can find a Spanish speaking friend, look up Jardines Eneida Nursery. We purchased grafted plants there last year. They were mislabeled as G. Brasiliensis...which has been a common mistake down there for some time. They will ship plants to the states. They did for Gerry(Lycheeluva).

Hi nullzero,

Here are 3 places that sell either seeds or plants of achachairu.

http://www.montosogardens.com
http://www.viveroanones.com
http://organicfarm.net

I had plants about a month ago, but I gave away all I could at that time, otherwise I would have given you one.

Tomas

"achachairu is better than mangosteen?"

Well.....I would have to repectfully disagree. Achachairu is the second best garcinia that I have tried. It is head and shoulders above most of the rest, however, mangosteen IMHO sits very comfortably on the top of the garcinia heap.

Harry

I agree with Harry. The large, insanely huge, seed and the barely satisfying flesh to seed ratio is a big negative for the fruit. Don't get me wrong....LOTS of positives. There is just a pitiful amount of flesh in these fruits. Definitely one of my favorites still.

If I had tasted the fruit before I purchased my original plant from Bryan many years ago, I would have gotten several plants. Grows faster and fruits sooner than mangosteen. Lots easier to care for too.

The seeds germinate extremely well and easy too. Sadhu and/or Bryan will have small seedlings available...at least most of the time. Sherry at Viveroanones only ships seeds.

Pepertot,
Thank you! I appreciate your help!
I had a good time enjoying these achachairu in Recife, Brasil.
http://i1102.photobucket.com/albums/g452/Berto779/Achachairu2-Copy.jpg

Here is the picture

Another photo

Sorry! Pepperot

Those are some great looking fruits Berto, I can see easily eating a few kilos. Thanks for taking the time to post the pics.

hope you planted all those seeds,
-Ethan

How are everyones grafted ones that you guys got in PR doing? The nursery that you guys got them from were sold out a few months ago. I am going to get my wife to call about them soon, but I am not sure if her spanish is good enough to actually explain what I want (She is actually Portuguese).

Ethan,
I did not plant those seeds. I have some seedlings already and they are over one year old. Lately, I see some nice growth.
According to the commercial grower, it does not make much of a difference to grow them from seed instead of grafting them. He prefers to grow them from seed. The amount of time to start heavy production is pretty much the same, he said.

John...the grafted one was really really slow to start. I've been getting a flush here and there lately though and hope for some more as the weather picks up.

When they grafted it, they cut off the leader leaving a finished product that looked more like a "T". Very odd. But still had to have one. Not sure just yet what it may amount to.

Berto...thanks for the pics. Man...those do look delicous! I can remember wolfing them down in PR the last few years when I visited. They definitely are tasty.

Even though you already have seedlings...I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T PLANT THE SEEDS!! Bad bad bad!

ahahahahahahahahahah
Ohiojay,
I wish I could! It is getting harder to get things out of Brasil. Unfortunately, some idiots take things out of Brasil and then they patent it and want Brasilians to pay royalties to use their native plants/seeds/extracts, etc. Brasilian are not happy with that scenario.
It happened with acai (assaih).
Just for the record, achachairu is native to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

John, my grafted plant still looks like a silk plant, though it has pushed two new leaves recently.

Berto, I believe other countries are doing the same as Brasil when it comes to keeping their plants and seeds from export. They want the first opportunity to develop and market the products. The Australians allowed the macadamia nut off their shores and missed out on a huge sum of $.

Heard that!
I wasn't too pleased hearing that the Pili is in production phases in Hawaii, it is delicate yet incredibly rich, and blows the Macadamia out of the water and the Philippines will likely lose that desperately needed cash cow like the Australians[and Macs].

Didn't a pharmceutical comp patent the medicinal usage of Turmeric in India? Lame. Now the Acai?

:)

But the Aussie's turned the table with Achacha. They are now reaping huge benefits. The host country can really only blame themselves. You and I ordering seeds or a plant is one thing. Someone ordering 3 million seeds? One might think to question that!!

This business of one country taking advantage of natural resources from other countries is going on for a long time.
Few examples:
Mango - Native to India
Jackfruit - India
Orange - China (Brasil is the biggest producer of orange juice and the USA is second). The Portuguese took oranges from China to Brasil. Some "missionaries" brought them to Florida.
Nowadays, the Amazon region is full of "missionaries". A couple of years ago, in Manaus, my hand luggage was searched three (3) times before I got inside the plane.
I hope the countries come up with a better solution as far as exploration of biodiversity of our planet.

I'm not against the natural-spread of the fruits and vegetables from one region to another, however the profit generating crops that could potentially lift an impoverished peoples is an issue that actually is woven into the heart of my undergraduate studies. e.g. the Acai and the Amazonian peoples, and the Pili and Filipinos, or even the Macadamia and the Indigenous Austrailians.

I'm also not saying that it is the people of any one nation over another, but the corporations that race to corner and then monopolize a market; it is my hope that the Philippines can receive the proper investment into it's Pili production and reap the benefits of an endemic species.

Please don't mistake my comments as a criticism of a country, but rather the multinational conglomerate who seek only profits.

Ideally a company that employs and are fair to the native peoples of the area is what I'd like to see with the Pili, similar to the Shea nut production in Burkina Faso that employs native women to harvest and process the Shea nut for skincare.

That's my 2c.
:)

Hi .iam from India whether this plant grow in our climate .how can I ge some seeds of the plant?

So what's the bottom line? Can Achacha be grown in South Florida & survive to the mid 20's like we get in 9B?

Although native to a different part of the world, Achacha is in the mangosteen family (Garcinia ) but is more cold-hardy. It is now being grown commercially in the Northeastern part of Australia.

Some have said the flavor is somewhat similar to mangosteen, but more like a sherbert with a lemonade flavor.

Any news on where we can purchase the plant in south FL or seeds??

Daniel, not really S Fl, but nearly as close. Try Flying Fox:

http://www.flyingfoxfruits.com

I saw a recent video on something else that was filmed there and he had a lot of plants.

On the totally awesome fruit scale of 1-10 how do achacha's taste? Frankly 95% of exotic fruits that I have gone out of my way to try or grow have been let downs.

A lot of it is a matter of personal taste. I'm not a huge fan of mangoes or peach, but if you like mango and peach I think you'll really like the flavor of mangosteen. There are some people who would rate mangosteen a 10, and I have read reports from two people who say they like the flavor of Achachairu even more than mangosteen. But it's really subjective. Have you had the opportunity to try mangosteen before?

About other tropical fruits, don't be too discouraged because a lot of it can do with freshness, and sometimes even particular variety. You really need to travel to a tropical country and try the fruit there before you can make a certain assessment of whether you like the fruit or not. A lot of fruit that turns up in the supermarkets only tastes a fraction as good as it does freshly picked off the tree when fully ripe. For example, I just bought some lychees and Cherimoya at the market that were absolutely TERRIBLE. If those were the only lychees and Cherimoya I had ever tasted I would have to conclude that these fruits were not even worth eating, but I know that's not the case. Same thing with pomegranates.

@Parker - Mangosteen has been on my #1 try list for years. Never had the opportunity. Love Peaches and Mangos and have both in my yard.

I have heard Mangosteen totally rules, but hadn't heard anyone say achacha is even better - if true I gotta get me one to grow.

Do they grow true from seed? How long for them to bear fruit?

I have had things right off the tree.....i.e. Black Sapote/Chocolate pudding fruit doesn't taste anything like chocolate pudding and really isn't that good, tho Carambolas are much better when you grow your own then the ones in the stores.

I don't think achacha is "better", it's just that there are some people who prefer the bolder lemonade taste. Mangosteen has more of a subtle exquisite flavor to it, but with a sharp taste reminiscent of peach. I personally wouldn't rate mangosteen a 10 but I can easily see how some people would. Mangosteen has a floral aroma in its flavor that is much more complex than lychee. Really there's no other flavor like it, but if I had to compare it to other fruits I would compare it to peach, a very flavorful tropical banana, maybe a little bit like pear, and I think I can detect a tiny bit of cherry and wild strawberry (maybe a tiny bit of putrid mango flavor too). The flavor is very aromatic as well, and feels "cooling". It's floral, like lychee, but not the same kind of floral aroma.

You really should try mangosteen before you go in search of achacha.

I have to agree with you that a lot of the rare tropical fruit is overrated (especially the ones native to the Americas I feel like), and you are totally right about Carambolas tasting different fresh off the tree.

But keep in mind people have different tastes, and some people are more likely to like fruits in certain flavor-type groups.

Here's how someone else described the taste:

"At first glance, the achacha - or achachairu - is like nothing else I know. Pry
it open, however, and its creamy white flesh immediately reminds me of the fruit
I adore and miss, one that is abundant in my home country: mangosteen, the queen
of fruits.

Pop it into my mouth, and it confirms this impression -
achachas are, indeed, remarkably similar to my beloved mangosteens... that same
soft texture, that same beguiling taste that defies description. And no wonder,
for achacha is a cousin of the mangosteen, as I found out later. Yet there are
some crucial little differences. It's a little less sweet, a little more acidic.
But that's not all; it even teases me with barely-there hints of duku langsat -
another tropical fruit I recall with much fondness."

The taste of achacha is also described as "tangy" and "refreshing". (mangosteen also has a "clean" flavor to it)

The achacha fruits do not have much flesh though, so might be better processed into fresh juice.