Rambutans are adapted to warm tropical climates, around , and are sensitive to temperatures below . The trees grow well at elevations up to above sea level and do best in deep soil, clay loam, or sandy loam rich in organic matter. They grow on hilly terrain where there is good drainage. In Malaysia, rambutan flowers from March to July and again between June and November, usually in response to rain following a dry period. Flowering periods differ for other localities. Most, but not all, flowers open early in the day. Up to 100 flowers in each female panicle may be open each day during peak bloom. The initial fruit set may approach 25 percent, but a high abortion level contributes to a much lower level of production at harvest (1 to 3 percent). The fruit matures 15 to 18 weeks after flowering. Rambutan cultivation in Sri Lanka mainly consists of small home gardens.
Malwana, a village in the
Kelani River Valley, is popular for its rambutan orchards. Their production comes to market in May, June, and July when it is very common to observe seasonal traders along the streets of
Colombo. Sri Lanka also has some off-season rambutan production in January and February in areas such as
Bibile,
Medagama, and
Monaragala. Both male and female flowers are faintly sweet-scented and have functional nectaries at the ovary base. Female flowers produce two to three times more
nectar than male flowers. Nectar sugar concentration ranges between 18–47 percent and is similar between the flower types. Rambutans are an important
nectar source for bees in Malaysia. Cross-pollination is a necessity because the anther is absent in most functionally female flowers. Although
apomixis may occur in some cultivars, rambutans, like lychee, are dependent upon insects for pollination. In Malaysia, where only about one percent of the female flowers set fruit, no fruit is set on bagged flowers while hand pollination resulted in a 13 percent fruit set. Pollinators may maintain fidelity to either male or hermaphroditic flowers (trees), thus limiting pollination and fruit set under natural conditions where crossing between male and female flowers is required.
Production rambutan seller in
Semarang, Indonesia Rambutan is a fruit tree cultivated in humid tropical Southeast Asia. It is a common garden fruit tree and propagated commercially in small
orchards. It is one of the best-known fruits of Southeast Asia and is also widely cultivated elsewhere in the tropics including Africa, southern Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, India, Vietnam, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. In Java, the orchards and
pekarangan (habitation yards) in the villages of
Greater Jakarta and
West Java have been known as rambutan production centers since
the colonial era, with a trading center in
Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. During 2017 and years before, imports of rambutan to the
European Union were about 1,000
tonnes annually, enabling a year-round supply from numerous tropical suppliers. The fruits are usually sold fresh and have a short shelf-life, as well as grown in
the Pathanamthitta District of the southern state of
Kerala. Rambutans are not
climacteric fruit—that is, they ripen only on the tree and appear not to produce a ripening agent, such as the
plant hormone ethylene, after being harvested. In general, the fruit has a short shelf life in ambient conditions but implementing methods that can extend such is a productional advantage. Certain treatments like irradiation and the use of hot-forced air can help in fruit preservation although the former has seen more success.
Distribution The center of genetic diversity for rambutans is the
Indonesian region. It has spread from there to parts of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Central America. ==Gallery==