The Whitman Pavilion is a unique and amazing fruit collection which includes species from Asia, Africa, and America. Our display is unique; we have superior clones or cultivars. Every plant has been propagated by grafted tree or air-layer. Both methods of propagation assure the genetic integrity of the collection, height, quality and precocity. The plants are distributed by plots, grouping by relatives.

MANGOSTANS:

A regal air surrounds the queen of tropical fruit. The formal symmetry of the trees and elegance of the purple, orange, and red fruit captivate the senses. Their succulent flesh is delicately aromatic; a cooling balance to the heat of the durian. Asian species are often dried and used as spices, while Amazonian species make exquisite juices. David Fairchild held our first ever mangosteen tea party under the palms at the Garden on August 18, 1945, with fruit imported from Lancetilla, Honduras. It is time for another party - this time with our own fruit.

Cherapu  (Garcinia praniana)

Deep within the verdant rainforests of Borneo, Cherapu Garcinia prainiana plants begin a most ancient of rituals. Amidst the dense foliage, small red flowers emerge like jewels from the deep green branch tips, effusing their sweet aroma in hopes of seducing tiny insects.  Beneath the tropical sun, the insects flitter playfully among the male and female blooms, unwittingly pollinating their thankful hosts.  The consummation is a brilliant orange fruit, Mangosteen; a queen is born, and the circle of life continues.

The ripe fruit have a deep orange thin skin with delicious sweet-tart taste. Plants come male and female, therefore we have to pollinate by hand. Cherapu can be grown in a container and will bear when only 2 or 3 feet tall.

 

  

Luli   (Garcinia hombroniana)

Within sight of the South China Sea one can find the stately beach mangosteen. This most intriguing member of the mangosteen family prefers a life near the sea, subjected to extremes in light, temperature and a fluctuating water table. It gradually develops into a 10 m tree, with a lovely tiered architecture of contrasting light and dark green leaves. The white flowers are borne on the new flush and produce a scarlet red fruit of 40 to 50 g. The skin is leathery and contains a white or transluscent flesh with a crisp, tart flavor. There is little known about potential uses of this fruit and less about the genetic resources in its native land. Interest has long surrounded the beach mangosteen as a potential rootstock for grafting to extend the adaptability of the commercial mangosteen. In Tropical America the beach mangosteen holds promise as an ornamental for home gardens and as a potential commercial fruit crop.

Luli makes a small ornamental tree with bright red fruit and acid-tasting fruit. It is cold tolerant and should be grown on beach sand, marl, and limestone. 

 

Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana)

"The Queen of fruits" the Mangosteen fruit is about the size of a billiard ball, dark purple in color with soft, juicy and translucent pulp, like a tangerine. Mangosteen is  commercially grown in many tropical areas (Australia, Africa, Hawaii, Central America, South America, Asia). The mangosteen can bear when 12 years old under good cultural conditions.

 

 

DURIANS:

Among the shadows of the Bornean rain forest a wild durian fruit tumbles to the forest floor - the telltale thud announcing the seductive feast. The armored shell is coaxed open to reveal a fiery red flesh. A penetrating, earthy aroma hangs heavy in the air. At first taste there is a hesitation. Gradually one succumbs to the intense sweetness, veiled in provocative, musky overtones. The durian has moved out of the forest shadows and onto the grocery shelves of Asia and increasingly the Americas.

Durio graveolens: Fast-growing; wild durian with an edible orange-colored flesh

Durio zibethinus: Most commercial durian

Durio oxleyanus: This is another wild/jungle durian. It is small and the fruit is armed with long sharp spines.

 

 ARTOCARPUS:                                                                                                                

In an isolated Malaysian market, an elderly woman proudly displays a shabby collection of champedak, breadfruit, marang, kanun pan and pedalai. An elusive, resinous odor  emanates from their general vicinity, but one cannot be sure. Fruits in hand, the spiny, leathery rinds are cut open to reach the starchy or intensely sweet flesh with aromatic combinations of banana, tutti-frutti and citrus. While rather strange to look at, they are among the world's finest flavors.

Champedak (Artocarpus integer)

Marang (Artocarpus odoratissimus)

Kanun Pan (Artocarpus rigidus ssp. rigidus)

Pedalai (Artocarpus sericicarpus)

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Langsat (Lansium domesticum)

In Southeast Asia it is said that langsats are planted not for oneself, nor for one's children, but for one's grandchildren. They are that slow to produce fruit when grown from seed. By grafting superior selections, we hope in this lifetime to enjoy the tart citrus flavor of the delectable, crisp flesh.

 

 

 

 

 

Chupa Chupa (Quararibea cordata)

In a patio garden along the Amazon River, a child earnestly gnaws at a chupa chupa. Working for what seems an hour, the dedicated youth sucks on the hairy seed until all of the sweet, musky pulp has been eaten. Chupa chupa remains a subsistence crop; commercial development will depend upon the selection of superior, low-fiber varieties.

 

 

 

 

 

Cacao (Theobroma cacao)

 

Theobroma cacao, the fruit of Gods... origin of this tropical understory tree in the  Sterculiaceae family. Cacao cultivation began in America by Mayan tribes in Central America, ca. 1500 BC. Mayas and Aztec attributed divine origin to the cocoa tree (brought by god Quetzacoatl). The precious cocoa beans were used as a currency. The sacred beverage called "chocolatl" was consumed from golden cups.

Cacao, the food of the gods and legacy of the Maya, is the focal point of a worldwide effort to safeguard chocolate supplies. United States Department of Agriculture scientists, working in concert with researchers and growers from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe are active in the collection, research, and selection of cacao with improved resistance to devastating fungal diseases.

                   

The cupuazu (Theobroma grandiflorum)

The cupuazu is a very important fruit of the Amazon basin of Brazil. Related to the cocoa, T. cacao, the cupuazu is generally used for its pulp, although the seeds are sometimes used to make chocolate. They contain good quantities of the stimulant alkaloids caffeine and theobromine. The cupuazu is almost unknown outside Brazil, where, in some regions, it is found in almost every dooryard. The fruit is large and ovoid or almost globose and weighs about 900 grams. The fruit contains one to several segments (like those of an orange) of white pulp with an agreeable flavor. Each segment may con­tain one large seed, but some fruits are seedless; these are preferred. The pulp may be eaten fresh, out of hand, or it may be made into a drink or stewed.

 

 

Araza (Eugenia stipitata)

Is a fragrant, tart fruit which is used to make drinks, popsicles, and ice cream. It is also used to flavor liquor. Some people eat the fruit when green in order to eliminate parasites. This is a small tree whose size and shape allow it to mix well with many tree crops. 

 

 

 

 

 

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

When in fruit, the rambutan is a bountiful sight, hanging heavy with fiery clumps of red, yellow and green. Each fruit boasts a shiny, colorful rind with hair-like fleshy spines of the same or contrasting color. The sweet, succulent flesh is delicately pleasing. Rambutan has struggled for an identity in the Americas, but has now begun a fast climb to stardom.

 

 

 

 Bacuripari (Rheedia magnifolia)

Bacuripari is native to the Amazonian lowlands, where it grows as an understory tree. The tree can grow to 9m., forming an attractive, pyramidal canopy . Trees are propagated by seed and may require 5 to 10 years to come into production. The fruit have a thick, hard outer wall containing a bitter latex. Inside the hard shell is a white, creamy flesh surrounding 3 to 4 large seeds. The flesh is scanty in comparison to mangosteen or bacurí. The bacuripari is outstanding because it grows and produces a significant crop in shaded conditions. The trees are also tolerant of full sun and wind exposure, making them more adaptable to varied climates than the mangosteen. There is considerable variation in fruit quality among bacuripari from different regions of South America, and there may be different species involved. Wherever bacuripari or other Rheedia species are grown, the flavor is considered excellent.

Achacharu (Rheedia sp.) 

A wondrous golden bounty hangs heavy from the emerald limbs of the Amazonian achacharu. Local children frequent the ornamental trees lining the river bank following a cooling swim, while they await the arrival of their family dugout canoe. Jostling for position, they quickly harvest the fruit and hungrily partake of its sweet delicate pulp. Native to the hot, humid forests of the Amazon basin, the small tree (6 to 9 ft) grows easily from seed, producing fruit in less than four years. Fruit shape varies by region, with many different species cultivated by local people. Trees will thrive under a humid, wind-free environment if provided with a low pH soil and ample moisture. In its native land the achacharu remains as a home garden fruit and is consumed fresh out-of-hand or made into delicate and refreshing juices. In tropical America the achacharu has considerable potential as a cross purpose ornamental, home garden and commercial fruit crop. Due to its small stature it is perfect for small spaces or even permanent use in a container.

 

Salak (Salacca zalacca)

The salak, or snake fruit, comes attractively packaged in its own distinctively patterned, leathery hide. The dark-brown skin is tough, but surprisingly thin and easy to peel. Inside you'll find a light-tan fruit divided into three or more lobes, usually with a single seed in the largest section. Salaks are not juicy which makes them especially convenient to peel and eat. The fruit has the firmness of a carrot and a distinctively agreeable flavor quite unlike any other fruit. The unusual beauty of the salak and its ability to endure traveling conditions make it a tasty and unusual gift for friends back home.

 

   

Borojo (Borojoa patinoi)

Native from southern Central America, northern Chocó area in Colombia and southwestern Amazon Basin. Borojoa patinoi is cultivated in Colombia for its edible large fruits (supposedly with aphrodisiac properties). Borojo is highly valued in local markets. 300 tonnes are sold on the Cali market alone at US $3/kg. The non-climacteric fruit is collected at full maturity, on the ground. The pulp is used to prepare juice, compotes, marmalades, candies and wine. Potential industrial use for dairy products (yogurt, fermented milk). Dehydrated borojo pastes could be used in biological and diet products.