What is your All Time Slowest Growing Plant?

[fruitlovers]

Thanks Oscar for the info. I got my seeds from the fruit and spice park. The shape, texture, and flavor reminded me of a guinep or Spanish lime. Chris Rollins recommended the fruit to me, but he never said anything about there being male trees or needing cross pollination. He did mention that it is much more cold tolerant then the Spanish lime. I'm curious if you tried to pollinate the flowers yourself?

Haven't tried to pollinate them myself, at least not yet. Would have to use very tiny brush. The flowers are super small. (That is tip of my index finger next to flowers for scale.)

[siafu]

For me, Garcinia tinctoria is a major contender...
At one time, I managed to have several seedlings that stayed perfectly fine for 2 or 3 years with
just their first pair of leaves. No dying but not growing either. Very frustrating.

Trying to grow langsat is a very similar experience.

[fruitlovers]

Ha! Oscar, have you never seen Whitman's miracle fruit tree? Most people don't even recognize it as miracle fruit it is so large, a real tree. I will have to look up a photo for you.

Erica

Hi Erica, no i haven't seen that photo.You sure that was S. dulcificum and not another species of synsepalum? Tallest miracle fruit tree i've seen here was about 12 feet tall and i think about 40 years old. I've got a 20 year old that is about 7 feet tall.

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Oscar,

I have seen some miracle fruit trees here around 10ft tall x7ft wide, and know of some specimens around 8ft tall or more (planted out), being grown in containers.

Bill Whitmans tree was largest in USA, and was around 20ft (there's a pic of Bob Canon next to the tree in Whitmans book pg 303, when it was quite large, but not as big as it eventually grew).

In Ghana the tree has a max height of about 25ft.

U are correct in saying it never really gets big though.  U r lucky to see one over 6ft tall.

trees are capable of putting on 20 inches of growth in one push!

[fruitlovers]

Oscar,

I have seen some miracle fruit trees here around 10ft tall x7ft wide, and know of some specimens around 8ft tall or more (planted out), being grown in containers.

Bill Whitmans tree was largest in USA, and was around 20ft (there's a pic of Bob Canon next to the tree in Whitmans book pg 303, when it was quite large, but not as big as it eventually grew).

In Ghana the tree has a max height of about 25ft.

U are correct in saying it never really gets big though.  U r lucky to see one over 6ft tall.

trees are capable of putting on 20 inches of growth in one push!

Hi Adam, thanks, i never noticed that photo before. But judging from that photo it was 15 ft. at time photo was taken. I've seen ones that tall here, but not as wide as in that photo. How old was that tree?
Oscar

[FlyingFoxFruits]

OLD!

I think it was planted 1952, and fruited in 1956 when it was planted (a group of 3 seedlings).

He introduced the plant I believe, after other failed, because of improper Ph...(another reason to plant in pots!  )

Bill basically grew his in a pot for its whole life, even in the ground it was planted in a hole, it a mix of sand instead of marl.

Oscar,

I have seen some miracle fruit trees here around 10ft tall x7ft wide, and know of some specimens around 8ft tall or more (planted out), being grown in containers.

Bill Whitmans tree was largest in USA, and was around 20ft (there's a pic of Bob Canon next to the tree in Whitmans book pg 303, when it was quite large, but not as big as it eventually grew).

In Ghana the tree has a max height of about 25ft.

U are correct in saying it never really gets big though.  U r lucky to see one over 6ft tall.

trees are capable of putting on 20 inches of growth in one push!

Hi Adam, thanks, i never noticed that photo before. But judging from that photo it was 15 ft. at time photo was taken. I've seen ones that tall here, but not as wide as in that photo. How old was that tree?
Oscar

[Soren]

My slowest is Borassus aethiopum, more than 6 years old and the trunk is not yet visible.

[FLnative]

 Slowest surviving tropical fruit tree is my Pitomba—purchased 3 gal about 4 years ago

[lkailburn]

Oh good so it's not just me that has a painfully slow growing pitomba. haha 

-Luke

[istcallst]

My randia formosa (only 1 survived) from seed is now about 2cm after more than a year. So really, really slow. Can I fertilize such a small seedling?

Blackberry jam fruit (Randia formosa).. I have had it three years and it has not grown one inch.

Hmmmm. Something wrong there because blackberry jam fruits are not that slow growing! Is it getting regular fert?
Oscar

[Mike T]

I planted a mangosteen in 1993 and it was a house plant and porch plant for 10 years when it got up to maybe 9 leaves and 18 inches high.I put in a big pot in a prime spot when I got my place in 2003 and I kept it for about 5 years and it grew a couple of leaves and it went to my brothers place for the yard.It grew 2 leaves in a couple of years and he dug it up and put it back in the pot.He still has it and it put on 2 more leaves in recent years.It is the ultimate ass dragger.

[BMc]

Mike, you can just get them @ 1.2m for about $20 at Rusty's! 
Since getting mine nearly 2 years ago its been growing okay - much faster than pitomba, which seems to send up a sucker every now and then - buts thats all the growing it seems to do.
Mundu has been my slowest growing garcinia. I picked up a really nice one, but its done nothing and may not survive much longer.

[Mike T]

BMc yes but that is a recent event with mangosteens for sale.If that mangosteen I used to have was a person it could fight for its country,legally drink in australia and be in its 3rd year of a botany degree at university.It is still only 2 feet high.I planted my tiny pitomba out today and I expect it will be sluggish.It came from alan carle.Do you know if there is variation in fruit quality or are they are pretty standard?
I suppose winter knocks your trees back.American tropicals seem to handle cold better than the Asian ones.

[fruitlovers]

My randia formosa (only 1 survived) from seed is now about 2cm after more than a year. So really, really slow. Can I fertilize such a small seedling?

Blackberry jam fruit (Randia formosa).. I have had it three years and it has not grown one inch.

Hmmmm. Something wrong there because blackberry jam fruits are not that slow growing! Is it getting regular fert?
Oscar

Yes you can fertilize them at any stage, just be careful not to overdo it. Suggest using slow release pellets.

[Kona fruit farm]

Hi Oscar... was just getting ready to plant 5 Garcinia Aristata trees (Rheedia)  not sure..  and i wanted to get a status update on your trees.  you originally posted in 2012 that your rheedia aristata had not fruited but just began to flower.    how as it been lately?  any fruits?

Also if i were to plan space between these 5 trees what kind of spacing do they need?  sounds like not much.. maybe 5' between trees? 

Thanks!

[fruitlovers]

Hi Oscar... was just getting ready to plant 5 Garcinia Aristata trees (Rheedia)  not sure..  and i wanted to get a status update on your trees.  you originally posted in 2012 that your rheedia aristata had not fruited but just began to flower.    how as it been lately?  any fruits?

Also if i were to plan space between these 5 trees what kind of spacing do they need?  sounds like not much.. maybe 5' between trees? 

Thanks!

Flowers a lot, but never sets fruit as i think all the flowers are male. Just about a year ago i planted a couple extra for cross pollination. But will take long before they flower. They seem to be small bushy trees. So yes, 5 feet distance should be enough, especially with their super slow growth.

[shot]

Garcinia xanthochymus  ,charichuela,Rheedia aristata those are slow but seeds matter.Rheedia aristata vari alot between seedlings as do charichuela grafting on rootstocks can be tricky with different species.Example some aristata I planted same time have 1.5 inch caliper others over 8 inch and it is a male sorry oscar you might have to graft female on that sucker .I know you want seed production,not much of a fruit to eat.
Garcinia xanthochymus slower than mangosteen but steady so they do get good size after 20 years 16 feet ,Miracle fruit over 10 feet ,those get planted every where by the birds
    Alupag 16 feet 20 years those are slow.Sometimes environmental factors come in to play climate ,nematodes,or planting near suppressor trees like melaleuca allelopathy

[ScottR]

Slow poke's for me are red hybrid Jabo's i but them in ground at about 1'-tall and they have stayed that size also garcina's, grandifolia, luc's, lemon drop grew to about 2' tall and that's were they have stayed for a few year's now. black goji hardly grows after two years.