Description
Native to India, China and south-east Asia, Cowa Mangosteen is an evergreen tree 5 to 10 meters tall, occasionally to 12 meters. Trunk slender, straight and un-branched for more than half its length. Bark dark grey-brown, often mottled. Crown rounded to pyramidal-shaped, branches horizontal to gently drooping.
Leaves lance-shaped, showy and bright red when young ageing to a medium green.
Flowers yellow, fleshy with separate female and male flowers on different trees in spring.
Fruit small to medium-sized, roundish, yellow-orange at maturity, borne only on female trees in summer. Sour flavour, not usually consumed fresh more often used to flavour drinks or as a souring agent in cooking.
Its showy, bright red leaf flush makes Cowa Mangosteen a suitable candidate tree for display in public gardens.
Resin bled from wounded trees produces a bright yellow dye or pigment used in watercolours and varnishes. Its quality of is considered acceptable, but inferior to resin extracted from Garcinia hanburyi. .
Young shoots harvested in Thailand are consumed as a cooked vegetable prepared in a dish know locally as Moochamung, which is also sold canned in supermarkets.
Adapted to sub-tropical climates with air temperatures in the range 7 to 29C and annual rainfall between 2000 and 3000 mm. Soil free-draining with a moderately acid pH.
Problem feature: There does not appear to be any records of escape and naturalisation anywhere.