Garcinia magnifolia

Garcinia magnifolia is native to Costa Rica, Panama, western Colombia, Ecuador, northern Peru, southern Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and northern Brazil.[4]

The tree rarely exceeds 20 feet (6 meters) in height domestically and is dioecious but is capable of self-pollination.[5] It is fairly cold tolerant, with mature trees surviving brief temperatures of 28 F (-2 C), and has evergreen leaves which are elliptical in shape. It often begins to produce fruit after 5-7 years of developing, and the fruit arils are edible, which have been described as being sub-acid to sour in flavor. The flowers develop in clusters on wood that is at least two years old. It is adaptable to many different soils but in neutral, alkaline, or deficient soils it may suffer from iron deficiency. It can grow in full shade, but fruiting may be limited. It does not tolerate salt but does tolerate moderate drought. It is also able to be grown in 15-25 gallon containers. [6]

The fruit is occasionally eaten and it is planted as an ornamental.[7]

It was originally described by botanist Henri Francois Pittier as Rheedia magnifolia in 1912 but was later changed to the genus Garcinia in 1989 by Barry Edward Hammel. It has been known since at least 1840.[8]

• List of Garcinia species