How many years does a durian tree generally need to be planted before it bears fruit?

Durian is a purely tropical crop. It can be grown in areas where the average daily temperature is above 22°C and there is no frost. Parts of Hainan Province and Yunnan Province in China can develop its cultivation, because it needs a year-round high-temperature climate to grow and bear fruit. Even in equatorial regions, durian cannot be grown or cannot bear fruit at elevations above 600 m. Let's take a look below at how many years a durian tree takes to bear fruit!

How many years does a durian tree take to bear fruit?

There are more than 200 durian varieties, and 60 to 80 are currently commonly grown. The time to bear fruit varies depending on the variety. Light varieties include I Luam, Jiao Lun Tong, Chun Fu Shi, Golden Pillow and Cha Ni, and usually bear fruit after 4~5 years. Medium varieties include Long Stalk and Gu Ye Tao, and usually bear fruit after 6~8 years. Heavy varieties include Gan Bang and I Na, and generally bear fruit after about 8 years. They bear fruit once a year, and the ripening times differ by 1~2 months from one another.

In which months does durian ripen?

The ripening period of durian is from November to February of the following year and from June to August. The fruit is ovate, spherical or elliptical, and can weigh 3~5 kg. When ripe, the fruit surface is brownish yellow and has many woody pointed protrusions. Inside there are dozens of seeds, with a milky white fleshy aril, which is the main part eaten. The flowering period of durian is from June to December each year, with 3~30 flowers per inflorescence. A single tree can produce about 80 durians per year, and they can ripen ten days after being picked from the tree.

What durian varieties are there?

1. Golden Pillow: Golden Pillow is a very popular one, with lots of flesh and sweet, and the flesh is golden yellow. There is often one larger segment among them, called the “main flesh”. Because its smell is not too strong, it is very suitable for first-timers to “start” eating this fruit that is both stinky and fragrant. It can be eaten all year round, but the price varies with the season. In peak season the price is the lowest, and it is also the best time to eat it.

2. Green Thorn: Among Green Thorn, those with small leaves, small size, lots of flesh and small seeds are more popular. The price is cheaper than Golden Pillow, and the flesh is best when dark yellow.

3. Long Stalk: Long Stalk is named because the fruit stalk of this durian is longer than that of other varieties. The stalk is long and round, and the whole durian is mainly round. The flesh and seed are also round. The skin is green, with many dense thorns. The seed is large, and the flesh is little but delicate and strong in flavor.

4. Gu Ye Tao: Gu Ye Tao's flesh is especially delicate, and its sweetness is like honey. Its small pointed seed makes it popular among “food connoisseurs”, and it is the most expensive type of durian.