| General Description | Nephelium lappaceum is a popular tropical tree in Southeast Asia, planted not only for its delicious fruit but also for its beautiful flowers and its usefulness as a great backyard shade tree. |
| ID Characteristic | This tree has small white flowers in large clusters. The leaves are thick, oblong, and dark green. The fruit sets are visually striking as they are clusters of red balls covered in spikes. |
| Shape | Round, spreading crown. Straight trunk. |
| Landscape | Orangutans particularly love the fruit of the rambutan which is why the tree lives so happily in the rainforest of Asia, however it would also do well planted in a backyard or in commercial orchards given there is enough humidity and rainfall. |
| Propagation | The most recommended method of propagating Nephelium lappaceum is by grafting, as this eliminates the young stage of the plant's life cycle where it does not produce fruit and flowers. The two popular grafting methods used for rambutan are the cleft graft and the whip and tongue graft. The process of developing new trees from grafting techniques ensures genetic consistency throughout the crop. |
| Cultivation | Grows best in areas with moist, loamy clay soils that are neutral to acidic in pH. Rambutan prefers part shade to full sun. It can handle more sun as the foliage ages. It is found naturally growing in rainforests. |
| Pests | Corky bark disease is a fungal disease that can affect the bark of the tree. Large black cankers will appear on the bark and can spread to cover the whole tree. |
| Notable Specimens | “Old Rambutan Tree” in Malaysia. |
| Habitat | Rainforests in Southeast Asia. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is smooth, straight, and light brown when healthy. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description | The flower buds emerge in little cone shapes and as they grow will develop more and more flower buds. The leaf buds are similar to the flower buds, only that they are more sharply pointed and much darker in colour. |
| Leaf Description | Nephelium lappaceum has pinnate, compound leaves. There are 3-8 leaflets on each leaf. The leaves are 10-20 cm in length, 3-10 cm wide, and spirally arranged. They have a papery texture. |
| Flower Description | Rambutan typically has clusters of small white to greenish flowers, around 2-5 mm in size. The flowers are aesthetically pleasing and often a contributing factor when planting this tree. These flowers do not contain petals but rather emit a strong and pleasant sweet fragrance to attract pollinators. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit of a rambutan is round in shape with a single brown seed in the centre. The outer skin is red or yellow and covered with appendages like spines or hair. The fruit covering the seed is white, soft, and chewy. It is said to taste sweet, tropical, and floral, similar to a lychee. Both the seed and the fruit are edible, but the fruit skin contains a toxin that should not be ingested. |
| Colour Description | The leaves are smooth and emerge light green; they darken over time. Bark is light brown. Flowers are light green or white. The fruit is green when immature and turns bright red or sometimes yellow when ripe. |
| Texture Description | Thick glossy leaves and smooth bark. The texture remains the same all year with the addition of the medium sized fruit sets. |