University of Florida Plant Information Longan Growing in the Florida Home Landscape
FC49
Other common names: English—lungan, dragon eye; Spanish—mamoncillo chino, longana; Malaysian and Indonesian—leng keng; Thai—lam yai
Scientific name: Dimocarpus longan Lour.
Synonyms: Nephelium longan (Lam.) Carm.; Euphoria longana Steud.
Family: Sapindaceae Relatives in the same family: Lychee, rambutan, pulasan, akee, Spanish lime, soapberry
Origin: Mayanmar (Burma), southern China, southwest India, Sri Lanka, Indochinese peninsula
Distribution: China, Taiwan, Thailand, Mayanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, India, Australia, Kenya, some Central and South American countries, and South Africa. In the United States longan is grown in Hawaii, California and south Florida. The longan was introduced to the United States in 1903. Commercial acreage in southern Florida was planted in the 1990s and continues to the present. Importance: Economically the longan is an important crop in southeast Asia and is of increasing importance in Florida.