Garcinia intermedia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Garcinia intermedia |
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Garcinia
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intermedia
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Garcinia intermedia is a tropical tree that grows in America. It is famous for its delicious fruit. In English, people often call it the lemon drop mangosteen. It shares this name with a similar-tasting tree called Garcinia madruno. Sometimes, it's also called monkey fruit.
In Spanish, it's known as mameyito. However, in Costa Rica, it goes by the name jorco. If you are in the Philippines, you might hear it called berba. In Portuguese, it's known as achachairu. This name is also used for another tree, Garcinia humilis, which grows in Bolivia and has larger, round fruits. G. humilis is even sold in Australia as 'Achacha'.
How it Grows
This tree grows quite fast and can reach about 5 meters (16 feet) tall. It can grow in many different types of soil. It also thrives at altitudes up to about 4000 feet (1200 meters). You can even grow it successfully in a large pot, and it will still produce fruit!
The lemon drop mangosteen grows best with regular water. It likes full sun and a humid (moist) environment. It can handle hot temperatures well. However, it probably cannot survive freezing weather. The tree has small, whitish flowers. These flowers are "perfect," meaning they have both male and female parts. This makes the tree an attractive plant for gardens. It looks especially nice when it has fruit, which can be all year long! Its leaves grow in pairs, opposite each other on the stem.
The wood from this tree is strong. It can resist termites, which are insects that eat wood. Because of this, people use its wood to make fence posts and handles for tools.
Reproduction
Most of the time, new lemon drop mangosteen trees grow from seeds. However, you can also grow them by grafting. Grafting is when you join parts of two plants together. There are no special types or "cultivars" of this tree known by specific names.
The seeds need to stay moist to grow. If they dry out, they won't be able to sprout. But if you keep them damp, they can stay alive for several months.
The Tasty Fruit
This tree can start making fruit in as little as two years! The fruits are smooth and round. They are about an inch (2.5 cm) across. They have a thin skin that can be yellow, orange, or red. Inside, there is a white, soft pulp.
The fruits are safe to eat and taste wonderful. They have a pleasant sweet and sour flavor. People usually eat them fresh, right off the tree. You can also use them to make drinks, jams, and jellies.
Where it Grows
The lemon drop mangosteen originally comes from Central America. Today, people grow it in different places throughout the tropics.
What it's Used For
Besides its delicious fruit, the tree has other uses. The bark of the tree has a lot of tannin. Tannin is a substance used in making leather. The wood is also valuable for building things. There are no known medicinal uses for this tree.
See also
In Spanish: Garcinia intermedia para niños
