Garlic Fruit Fruit Plant (Garcinia spicata )

Common Name: Bitter garcinia, Garlic Fruit

Botanical Name: Garcinia spicata

General Information:

Native to southern India and Sri Lanka. Medium-sized evergreen tree, reaching 2 - 25 meters in height. Known for interesting, glossy foliage and colorful fruits.

Produces edible fruits with a flavor similar to durian, sometimes called garlic fruit or bitter garcinia.

The fruit should be picked after falling off the tree for maximum ripeness. Picked too early, it may smell too strong and taste too much like garlic. The flavor is described as having a mild garlic taste but is also sweet.

The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as food, medicine, and source of materials. The fruit is sweet with an acidic flavor and a bitter aftertaste.

The plant is used medicinally.

Other Uses:

Milky, white to yellowish-green, sticky latex exudes from the bark, branches, and fruit.

Unripe fruit yields a chrome-yellow pigment. Pale yellow to cream-white wood is hard and considered a good timber.

Cultivation Details:

Bloom Time/Fruiting: 5 to 6 Years

Maintenance Required: Moderate