Dimocarpus Longan

Description

New, rare, delicious, and barely ever available in the Western World, the beige skin of this fruit contains luscious flesh which is sweet, tasty and delicious, and which is translucent white, with the shiny brown seed visible inside, looking like the pupil of an eye. As a result, they resemble the bulging eyes of the dragons often depicted in Chinese art. Closely related to lychees, they are native to China, Taiwan and South East Asia. The skin is hard and smooth, rather than softly-prickly like the common lychee, but peels off more easily than that of the lychee, rather like an egg shell! Containing many nutrients and vitamins that are claimed to fight various diseases, the Chinese name is "Long Yan Rou", which means Dragon Eye Meat! Finally, the tree is hardier and bears more heavily and later in the year than the lychee.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit and kept moist. Keep at between 20-25 degrees C. Seeds sometimes germinate within 4 to 6 weeks although some may take very much longer so please be patient. Plant out in the open ground in warmer countries or in a large container elsewhere.

Key Facts