PLEASE NOTE THAT I PREFER NOT TO SHIP TO HAWAII, PUERTO RICO OR INTERNATIONALLY DUE TO THE RISK OF THE PLANT NOT SURVIVING THE JOURNEY. IF YOU WISH TO COVER THE COST OF EXPEDITED SHIPPING YOU CAN MESSAGE ME PRIOR TO BIDDING OR MAKING THE PURCHASE SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS EXPEDITED SHIPPING OPTIONS BUT I CAN NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR LOSSES DUE TO USPS OR OTHER SHIPPING CARRIER SERVICES THAT DO NOT DELIVER ON TIME RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF YOUR PLANT(S)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DO NOT REMOVE YOUR SEEDLING FROM THE BIODEGRADABLE CUP. DOING SO MAY RESULT IN SHOCK OR THE DEATH OF YOUR PLANT. PLANT THE CUP IN YOUR NURSERY CONTAINER IN A GOOD QUALITY POTTING SOIL. THE CUP WILL BREAK DOWN NATURALLY OVER TIME AS THE ROOTS GROW AND YOUR PLANT GETS LARGER. MAKE CERTAIN YOUR PLANT IS WELL HYDRATED PRIOR TO TRANSPLANT. USE DISTILLED, SPRING, BOTTLED OR R.O WATER. AVOID TAP WATER WHICH CONTAINS CHLORINE WHICH CAN BE TOXIC TO MANY PLANTS. PROTECT YOUR YOUNG PLANT FROM EXCESSIVE SUNLIGHT. KEEP THEM IN TEMPS OF 70 F TO 80 F IN FULL SHADE UPON ARRIVAL SO THAT YOUR PLANT MAY ACCLIMATE SLOWLY TO PREVENT SHOCK. THESE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED FOR AT LEAST 1 TO 2 WEEKS THEN GRADUALLY INCREASE THE AVAILABLE SUNLIGHT AND OUTDOOR CONDITIONS. ONCE YOUR PLANT HAS RECOVERED FROM SHIPPING THEN A SUNNY WINDOW WITH FILTERED LIGHT DOES BEST TO MINIMIZE EXCESS SUN WHICH MAY BURN LEAVES OR SHOCK A YOUNG PLANT THAT IS RECOVERING FROM SHIPPING STRESS. ONCE YOUR PLANT IS FULLY RECOVERED THEN YOU MAY PLACE IT IN SEMI-SUNNY MILD TO MODERATE SUNLIGHT CONDITIONS UNTIL YOUR PLANT BECOMES MORE MATURE AND CAN HANDLE FULL SUN. MONITOR FOR BURN MARKS WHICH INDICATES THAT THE SUNLIGHT IS TOO INTENSE FOR A YOUNG PLANT. LONGAN HANDLES FULL SUN WHEN IT IS OLDER AND MORE MATURE.
IF YOUR PLANT ARRIVES DAMAGED BEYOND VIABILITY THEN CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY WITH PICTURES OF BOTH THE BOX AND THE DAMAGED PLANT SO THAT I CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I DO MY BEST TO KEEP ALL MY CUSTOMERS HAPPY SO PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK BEFORE ALLOWING ME A CHANCE TO MAKE THE SITUATION RIGHT. HOWEVER, I CANNOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE DUE TO FAILURE TO WATER YOUR PLANT, LEAVING IT IN EXCESSIVELY HIGH HEAT/SUNLIGHT OR LOW/FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
LONGAN TREES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY GROWN FROM SEEDS BUT BECAUSE THE SEEDS HAVE A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF VIABILITY FOR SUCCESSFUL GERMINATION, DIFFERENT VEGETATIVE METHODS OF PROPAGATION HAVE BEEN UTILIZED TO REPRODUCE KNOWN CULTIVARS.
THIS VARIETY OF LONGAN IS FROM THE KOHALA CULTIVAR WHICH HAS BEEN HEAVILY CULTIVATED IN HAWAII, FLORIDA, AND CALIFORNIA AND IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE SUPERIOR VARIETIES FOR BOTH FLAVOR AS WELL AS VOLUME OF PRODUCTION.
LONGAN CAN BE STARTED IN A 3 GALLON CONTAINER THEN TRANSPLANTED INTO THE GARDEN AFTER THE PLANT BECOMES MORE MATURE AND TOLERANT OF FULL SUN. ALTHOUGH SOME CULTIVARS ARE PRODUCED BY AIR LAYERING, IN-ARCHING AND OTHER GRAFTING TYPE METHODS, PROPAGATION BY SEED IS QUITE COMMON AND WILL PRODUCE FRUITS. QUALITY OF THE FRUIT MAY NOT BE IDENTICAL TO THE PARENT TREE BUT HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO STILL BE ENJOYABLE.
DIMOCARPUS LONGAN, ALSO KNOWN AS "DRAGON'S EYE" IN CHINA, AND "MAMONCILLO CHINO" IN CUBA, HAS BEEN FOUND GROWING IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD BUT COMMONLY SEEN IN ASIA (CHINA, TAIWAN, VIETNAM,THAILAND) AS WELL AS THE UNITED STATES (FLORIDA,TEXAS, NEVADA, GEORGIA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII). IN ADDITION IT CAN ALSO BE FOUND GROWING IN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND SOUTH AFRICA.
THE TREE IS A BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE SPECIMEN THAT UNDER THE BEST OF CONDITIONS AND DEPENDING ON THE COUNTRY, CAN GROW UP TO 100 FEET TALL BUT TYPICALLY WILL GROW UP TO 40 FEET TALL AND JUST AS WIDE. IT IS USUALLY PRUNED AND KEPT SHORT TO MAINTAIN EASY ACCESS TO HARVEST FRUIT IN THE HOME LANDSCAPE. LEAVES HAVE A LEATHERY, WAVY GLOSSY GREEN SURFACE ON THE TOP WITH A FINE HAIRY, GRAY GREEN COLORATION ON THE LOWER SURFACE. NEW LEAF GROWTH CREATES A HANDSOME PRESENTATION THAT IS WINE COLORED AND VERY SHOWY DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS.
THE FRUIT HANG IN DROOPING CLUSTERS, ARE GLOBOID IN SHAPE, AVERAGING 1/2"-1" IN DIAMETER, YELLOW BROWN TO LIGHT RED/BROWN IN COLOR WITH A SLIGHTLY PEBBLED SKIN THAT IS BRITTLE, EASILY PEELED FROM THE INNER FRUIT WHICH IS WHITISH IN COLOR, MUCILAGINOUS, SWEET, SPICY AND AROMATIC. THE PULP OF THE FRUIT DOES NOT ADHERE TO THE SEED AND IS EASILY REMOVED FOR FREEZING OR CANNING. A SMALL ROUND BROWN TO DARK BROWN ALMOST BLACK SEED WITH A WHITE SPOT GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF AN EYE OF A DRAGON, HENCE THE NAME "DRAGON'S EYE". THE FLAVOR OF THE FRUIT HAS BEEN LIKENED TO LYCHEE OR RAMBUTAN AND HAS BEEN USED TO MAKE AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE THAT IS QUITE DELICIOUS. TYPICALLY THE FRUIT IS EATEN OUT OF HAND
BECAUSE LONGAN TYPICALLY GROWS AS AN UNDERSTORY TREE IN THE ELEVATED RAIN FORESTS OF SOUTHERN ASIA, THEY DO BEST WHEN PROTECTED FROM HEAVY SUN WHEN YOUNG BY CONTAINER GROWING UNDER MORE CONTROLLED LOW SUN CONDITIONS. ONCE THE PLANT BECOMES MORE MATURE THEN IT CAN BE TRANSPLANTED INTO THE GARDEN SOMEWHERE THAT IT WILL RECEIVE FULL SUN. IN ORDER FOR YOUR PLANT TO THRIVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT LEAF BURN IN AREAS WHERE THE SUN IS ESPECIALLY HOT. FOR THIS REASON I RECOMMEND GROWING YOUR PLANT IN A 3 GALLON POT INITIALLY THEN TRANSPLANTING TO YOUR GARDEN AFTER THE TREE IS ABOUT 2 TO 3 FEET TALL WITH ABUNDANT LEAVES. THEN IT CAN BE ALLOWED TO RECEIVE FULL SUN.
PESTS AND DISEASE: LONGAN IS RELATIVELY FREE OF DISEASE OR PREDATION FROM PESTS. MINERAL DEFICIENCIES IN YOUR SOIL CAN EASILY BE CORRECTED WITH FERTILIZATION USING MINOR ELEMENTS IF NECESSARY. IN GENERAL A 6-6-6 NKP FERTILIZER WILL KEEP YOUR PLANT GROWING WELL WHEN APPLIED CORRECTLY.
WATERING: LONGAN IS RELATIVELY DROUGHT TOLERANT ONCE ESTABLISHED BUT DOES BEST WITH IRRIGATION DURING HOT DRY EARLY SUMMER. REDUCING WATER IS RECOMMENDED DURING LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL THROUGH THE WINTER IN ORDER TO DECREASE VEGETATIVE GROWTH. THIS ENHANCES FLOWERING THROUGH THE SPRING. HOWEVER REGULAR IRRIGATION SHOULD ONCE AGAIN BE RESTARTED FROM FLOWERING THROUGH THE HARVEST IN ORDER TO OPTIMIZE CROP PRODUCTION.
MEDICINAL VALUE: THE FRUIT IS HIGH IN VITAMIN C, AND OTHER ANTIOXIDANTS AND IS ALSO A GOOD SOURCE OF FIBER. SMALLER AMOUNTS OF TRACE MINERALS ARE ALSO PRESENT. HISTORICALLY THE FLESH OF THE FRUIT HAS BEEN USED AS A STOMACHIC, FEBRIFUGE, AND VERMIFUGE. (THE FRUIT HAS BEEN USED TO TREAT STOMACH ACHE, FEVER AND WORMS) A DECOCOTION OF THE DRIED FRUIT HAS ALSO BEEN USED AS A TONIC FOR INSOMNIA AND CERTAIN TYPES OF NERVOUS DISORDER. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INFORMATION I AM PROVIDING IS FOR CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE. I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED SHOULD NOT BE USED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR AN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PRACTITIONER FIRST IF YOU HAVE ANY HEALTH CONCERNS.
NOTE: I DO NOT SHIP OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES AND IF YOUR WEATHER IS COLD, I DO NOT PROVIDE COLD PACKS SO IT IS BEST TO ORDER YOUR PLANTS WHEN THERE IS NO EXTREME COLD OR FROST EXPECTED IN YOUR AREA.