Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana, is the purple-rinded fruit of Southeast Asia with snow-white, sweet-tart segments, often called the queen of fruits. In India it grows in a few humid areas of Kerala, Karnataka’s Kodagu and the Nilgiri foothills, where nineteenth-century government fruit farms first planted it. It is a fruit, while the supplements made from its rind are a different matter.
- Botanical name
- Garcinia mangostana L.
- Family
- Clusiaceae
- Tamil
- Mangosteen
- Hindi
- Mangosteen
- Parts used
- Ripe aril
- Habit
- Mangosteen; kokum is a cousin, not this fruit
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Mangosteen
It is a slow-growing evergreen tree with a neat, conical crown and thick, glossy, dark green leaves in opposite pairs.
The fruit is round, about the size of a small orange, with a thick, deep purple rind and a crown of green sepals.
Inside are four to eight white, juicy segments, the edible arils. The number of segments matches the number of lobes on the scar at the base of the fruit.
The rind stains fingers and cloth purple.
Traditional use of Mangosteen
Food
Mangosteen is eaten fresh across Southeast Asia, often paired with durian, which it is said to cool.
Southeast Asian food practice
Folk practice
The dried rind is used in folk preparations for the gut and skin in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asian folk practice
Modern notes on Mangosteen
The rind contains xanthones such as alpha-mangostin, studied in laboratories. Mangosteen juice and supplements marketed for health have little clinical support.
The tree reproduces from seeds that develop without fertilisation, so seedlings are clones of the parent.
Mangosteen safety
Eat the fruit as food. Be cautious with concentrated rind supplements, which are poorly studied.
Ecology and sourcing
It is native to the Malay archipelago and needs constant warmth and humidity.
Trees take seven to ten years to fruit from seed, which limits commercial growing.
It cannot tolerate cold or dry spells, which is why it grows only in a few parts of India.
Related plants
Also in Clusiaceae
Questions about Mangosteen
Is Mangosteen related to kokum?
Yes. Both are Garcinia species.
Where does Mangosteen grow in India?
In humid parts of Kerala, Kodagu and the Nilgiri foothills.
Do mangosteen supplements work?
There is little clinical evidence for their health claims.
Sources
- Garcinia mangostana L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q170662 (Garcinia mangostana)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.