🍒 Rambutan (*Nephelium lappaceum*)
🔤 Name English / nombre español / Name Deutsch
Rambutan / Mamon Chino / Rambutan
📄 General description
The Rambutan is a tropical tree in the Sapindaceae family, closely related to lychee and longan. It produces bright red, hairy fruits that are sweet and juicy, with a mildly acidic flavor.
The tree is popular in tropical agroforestry and small-scale markets due to its high fruit yield and visual appeal.
🌿 Botanical Characteristics:
Family
Sapindaceae / (Soapberry family)
Growth and Structure
Medium-sized tropical fruit tree, Typically 10–20 m tall with dense, rounded canopy
Leaves
Compound leaves with 3–8 pairs of glossy, dark green leaflets
Flowers
Small, greenish-white flowers arranged in terminal panicles
Pollination
Insect-pollinated, especially by bees and flies
Sexual System
Dioecious
Sexual System Notes
Usually dioecious – separate male and female trees, but some cultivars are hermaphroditic; female trees require nearby male pollinator for fruiting
🌤️ Soil and Climate Preferences
Rambutan prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soils and high humidity.
It thrives in tropical lowland climates with regular rainfall but good drainage; intolerant of drought and salinity.
🍒 Fruit and Use:
General Use
Eaten fresh or canned; pulp used in juices, desserts, and jams
Ripening Season in Costa Rica
Roughly August–October, with local variation
Common Fruit Traits
Red to yellow skin with soft spines, white translucent flesh, sweet and aromatic, single seed
Climacteric Category
Non-climacteric
👉🏽 Climacteric category overview
Climacteric Category Notes
–
🌱 Propagation and Grafting
Usually propagated from seed or by grafting.
Grafted trees ensure known sex and earlier fruiting; seedlings may take 5–7 years to bear fruit
✂️ Care & Challenges:
Pruning
Light pruning to open canopy and remove dead wood
Diseases and Pests
Anthracnose and root rot can occur in poorly drained soils. Fruit borers, scale insects, and mealybugs are common
Soil and Fertilization
Responds well to organic mulch and balanced fertilization
🧺 Harvest Notes
Fruits should be picked when fully red and slightly soft to the touch. They do not ripen further once picked and have short post-harvest shelf life
📍 Individuals in the field
Soon to be added
📷 Photos