How do I know when to harvest?

The skin turns from greenish to a light tan or brown and the fruit tastes sweet.

Does it need full sun?

Yes, it produces the most fruit when grown in a spot with full sun.

Plant guide

Longan.

Dimocarpus longan

Pronounced dy-mo-KAR-pus LON-gan

Also known as Longan, dragon eye, dragon's-eye

The longan is a lovely tropical fruit tree that produces clusters of sweet, translucent berries. It thrives in warm climates and makes a beautiful ornamental addition to a sunny garden. You'll enjoy its lush, evergreen foliage year round.

Another photo of Longan — Photo by 五色鳥 (CC BY) via gbif

At a glance

Care level: Moderate
Plant type: Fruit tree
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 30 to 40 feet
Growth rate: Medium
Hardiness: USDA 9 to 11
Bloom time: Late winter to early spring

Care

Keep your tree in a spot with plenty of sunshine and well draining soil. Watch for yellowing leaves, which often signal that the soil is staying too wet. Regular pruning helps maintain a manageable size and encourages better fruit production.

Watering: Water deeply whenever the top few inches of soil feel dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer during the active growing season to support fruit development.
Pruning: Prune lightly after harvest to shape the canopy and remove any dead branches.
Repotting: Repot young trees every couple of years if they become root bound in their containers.
Soil: Sandy loam
Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5
Temperature: 4 to 40°C
Humidity: 60 to 90%
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Lifespan: Perennial, typically 50 to 100 years.
Fragrance: Light
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Signs it needs repotting

Roots growing out of drainage holes.
Water draining through too quickly.
Stunted growth despite fertilization.

Safety

People: The plant is generally non toxic, but the seeds are not for eating.
Children: The round, hard seeds pose a choking hazard to small children if ingested.
Contact allergens: No specific skin irritants are noted for this species.
Airborne allergens: The pollen may cause mild reactions in sensitive individuals during the flowering season.
Edibility: The seeds contain saponins and should not be consumed.

How to identify it

Pinnately compound, glossy green leaves
Clusters of small, yellowish white flowers
Round, tan colored fruit with thin skin
Translucent white flesh surrounding a dark seed

Height: 6 to 12m
Spread: 4 to 8m
Leaves: dark green, evergreen
Flowers: yellowish white, 0.5 to 0.8cm
Fruit: brown, tan, Late summer to early autumn

Problems to watch for

Fruit BorerCommon
Longan Witch's BroomCommon
Scale InsectsCommon
Sooty MoldCommon
AnthracnoseUncommon
ChlorosisUncommon
Root RotUncommon
Spider MitesUncommon

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

Check your longan from a photo

Pocket Botanist looks at a photo of your plant and tells you what's wrong and what to try first.

Growing it

Propagation: seed, air layering, grafting
When to plant: spring, early summer
Overwintering: Protect from frost by covering with cloth or moving containers indoors if temperatures drop near freezing.
In containers: It can be grown in large containers while young, but eventually requires a very large pot or planting in the ground.

Air Layering

Select a healthy branch.
Remove a ring of bark.
Wrap with moist moss and plastic.
Wait for roots to form.
Cut and pot the new plant.

Planting nitrogen fixing cover crops nearby can help improve soil fertility for these heavy feeders.

Grows well with

Mango · They share similar climate requirements and can be grown in the same orchard layout.
Banana · Bananas provide light shade for young longan trees.

Similar species

Lychee · A close relative with similar growth habits and fruit structure.
Rambutan · Another soapberry family member with similar tropical needs.

Science

Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Dimocarpus
Order: Sapindales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Southern China and Southeast Asia.
Conservation: This species is widely cultivated and not considered threatened in its native range.

It thrives in tropical and subtropical climates with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Value to wildlife: nectar source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: culinary fruit, ornamental shade tree, traditional medicine

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 8/9
Temperature: 8/9
Moisture: 6/9
Nutrients: 6/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

How do I know when to harvest?: The skin turns from greenish to a light tan or brown and the fruit tastes sweet.
Does it need full sun?: Yes, it produces the most fruit when grown in a spot with full sun.

Where the name comes from

The scientific name Dimocarpus comes from Greek words meaning double fruit, while longan is derived from the Chinese term for dragon eye.

Good to know

Longan is a member of the soapberry family, related to lychee and rambutan.
The name longan comes from the Cantonese term for dragon eye.
Dried longan is a popular ingredient in Asian soups and desserts.
Trees can live for over a century if given proper care.

Keep your longan growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.