Santol – Sandoricum koetjape

Plant family: Meliaceae

Plant origin: Malaysian Peninsula.

Fruit description: Santol fruit has a flattened round shape, 10cm in diameter, occurring on the tree in clusters of 3, 4 or 5. The fruit skin is a pale yellow and slightly hairy on the outside, it is 5mm thick, and is edible but not usually eaten. The white juicy pulp inside is in segments, and has a delicious sweet lemony flavour, has 1 inedible seed per fruit. A mature Santol tree produces an abundance of fruit.

Flowers: Santol flowers are about 10mm in diameter, pale pink or green.

Growing conditions: The Santol is an ornamental evergreen tree growing fast to about 7 metres high. It can tolerate some light frost. It gives excellent shade. It likes a very warm, sub-tropical, or tropical climate and a sunny well-drained position. The leaves are round and large, up to 14cm across, and have prominent leaf veins. Old leaves turn a magnificent dark red before falling. Once established, the tree can tolerate drought.

Uses: Eat Santol fruit fresh or cook it with spices, meat and coconut, or candy it in syrup. It is used in Thai, Indian, Malaysian and Philippine cooking. The flesh can be used to make jam or preserves.

Medicinal uses:

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time Pick the Santol fruit in late Summer and Autumn.

Plant relatives

Special features:

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size:

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 3 metres high by 2 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 7 metres high by 5 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: