Latin name - Garcinia humilis

Achachairú  (Ah-cha-chai-RU), more commonly known as Achacha,  is a delicious fruit in the mangosteen family.  More cold hardy than its tropical cousin the purple mangosteen, Achachairú can be grown fairly easily in Florida and withstands temperatures down to freezing or just below (30 degrees Fahrenheit).  Not that it particularly likes cold temperatures… the Achachairú tree would prefer to grow in the tropical Amazon rainforest where it is originally from, but it does grow and produce fruit pretty well in South Florida.  It is naturally a slow growing understory tree, but is adaptable to full sun conditions.  

Achachairú fruit is one of our favorites, with an addicting lemon-sherbet flavor and soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.  They are hard to find (our 3 trees are years away from fruiting) but when available, they get eaten quickly and every seed is planted.  Achachairú is an important crop in Bolivia where it is native, and is also being planted in some scale in Australia of all places.  We know a few growers with mature trees in Florida, and the fruit is in high demand.  

This tree grows slowly but eventually becomes large, up to 20+ feet.  This may take decades though, and Achachairú trees start producing at about 7 or 8 years old.  Strategic pruning can effectively dwarf the tree and keep it at a manageable height, though it will grow wide with a dense canopy.  The tree can withstand flooding reasonably well (up to a few weeks), and can also withstand short dry periods, but should be irrigated regularly.  Achachairú at this point is a collector’s tree, but we see them as having great potential for backyard and even commercial planting in Florida, for those who are patient enough to watch them grow.

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Size:  10-20 ft

Sun Requirements: Part shade, adapts well to full sun at ~2 yrs old

Cold Hardy: 30º will kill the tree

Harvest Season:  Summer

Watering requirements:  Grows best with irrigation

Food Forest Layer: Understory