Longan

Longan fruits in tree

Longan trees can produce thousands of ping-pong ball sized fruits that are eaten fresh or dried. They look a bit similar to ‘langsat’ and ‘longkong’. The fruits (also called Dragon Eye) can be eaten fresh, but can also be dried. Dried fruits have a dark color and are eaten as snacks or can be used in cooking.

Longan is native to South and Southeast Asia. A lot of fruits are produced in Thailand, China and Taiwan.

Longan is a member of the same family (Sapindaceae) as some other valuable fruits, including lychee and rambutan.

Names

Scientific
   Dimocarpus longan
Synonym
   Euphoria longan
   Euphoria longana
   Nephelium longana
English
   Dragon eye
   Dragon’s eye
   Longan
Dutch
   Lamyai
   Longan
Spanish
   Longan
French
   Longan
   Longane
   Longani
German
   Longan
   Longan-Baum
Italian
   Longan

Taxonomy

Genus
   Dimocarpus
Family
   Sapindaceae
Order
   Sapindales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

Southern China and Burma (but maybe also more south, south-west India and Sri Lanka)

Distribution:

Longan producing countries include Thailand, China, Taiwan, India and Vietnam.

Evergreen or deciduous:

Longan is an evergreen tree.

Flowers:

Pale yellow flowers on upright terminal panicles.

Leaves:

Alternate leaves with 4 to 10 opposite leaflets. The shape is elliptic or lanceolate and blunt-tipped. Leaves are 10-20 cm long and 3.5-5 cm wide. They are leathery with a glossy-green color on the upper surface and grayish-green on the lower surface. New leave growth has a wine-color.

Fruits:

Round fruits with a thin, brown-colored inedible shell. The flesh of the fruit is translucent white, soft, and juicy. It surrounds a big, black seed. That’s why it is called "Dragon’s Eye."

Climate and weather:

It is a subtropical tree but it grows well in the tropics. It needs a prominent change of seasons for satisfactory flowering. A cool season of 2-3 months results in abundant flowering.

Pollination:

Mainly by small insects, but also by wind.

Height:

9-12 meter (sometimes up to 20 m)

Crown size:

up to 14 meter

Type of soil:

Prefers rich sandy loam or moderately acid, somewhat organic, sand.

Spacing (close range):

6 x 6 meter

Spacing (wide range):

12 x 12 meter

Propagation:

Longan trees are mostly grown from seed.

Insect pests:

The most important pest is the Longan stink bug: Tessaratoma javanica. Other pests include: Erinose mite, scales, fruit flies, aphids, stem borers, leaf eating caterpillars, flower eating caterpillars, mealy bug, fruit spotting bug, elephant beetles and fruit piercing moth.

Diseases:

Longan is relatively free of diseases. Main disease is Rosette shoot or Witches’ broom

Other pests:

Fruit bats or flying foxes eat longan fruits.

Uses:

Longan fruits are eaten fresh or dried (after peeling skin and removing the seed).

Crop categories

Fruits
Food crops
Tropical crops

Pictures