Plant · P-498

Longan

Dimocarpus longan

Longan is an evergreen tree closely related to lychee, growing a mildly sweet, translucent fruit under a thin brittle rind, eaten raw, dried, preserved in syrup, cooked into sweet and sour dishes, added to soups, or sold frozen. Flowering needs a distinct cool, dry season of low but non-freezing temperatures followed by warm, humid, well-watered weather to fill the fruit, so bearing swings widely from year to year rather than coming reliably every season. It grows into a large tree - 30 to 40 feet tall and wide, with over 100 feet possible under ideal conditions - so it isn't something to grow small in a container, and it can't tolerate wet feet, declining after as little as five to ten days of standing water.