[1][3][4][5] It is grown mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia, Puerto Rico and Florida,[5][6][7] where the tree has been introduced.

A tropical tree, the mangosteen must be grown in consistently warm conditions, as exposure to temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) for prolonged periods will usually kill a mature plant.

[5] The juvenile mangosteen fruit, which does not require fertilisation to form (see agamospermy), first appears as pale green or almost white in the shade of the canopy.

During this period, the fruit increases in size until its exocarp is 6–8 cm (2+1⁄2–3 in) in outside diameter, remaining hard until a final, abrupt ripening stage.

[10] The subsurface chemistry of the mangosteen exocarp comprises an array of polyphenols, including xanthones and tannins that assure astringency which discourages infestation by insects, fungi, plant viruses, bacteria, and animal predation while the fruit is immature.

Colour changes and softening of the exocarp are natural processes of ripening that indicate the fruit can be eaten and the seeds have finished developing.

[11] Once the developing mangosteen fruit has stopped expanding, chlorophyll synthesis slows as the next colour phase begins.

This entire process takes place over a period of ten days as the edible quality of the fruit peaks.

Over the days following removal from the tree, the exocarp hardens to an extent depending upon post-harvest handling and ambient storage conditions, especially relative humidity levels.

If the ambient humidity is high, exocarp hardening may take a week or longer when the flesh quality is peaking and excellent for consumption.

However, after several additional days of storage, especially if unrefrigerated, the flesh inside the fruit might spoil without any obvious external indications.

[12] The main volatile components having caramel, grass and butter notes as part of the mangosteen fragrance are hexyl acetate, hexenol and α-copaene.

The 15th-century Chinese record Yingya Shenglan described mangosteen as mang-chi-shih (derived from Malay manggis), a native plant of Southeast Asia of white flesh with a delectable sweet and sour taste.

[18] In Chinese food therapy, mangosteen is considered "cooling", making it a good counterbalance to the "heaty" durian.

[18] There is also a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward of one hundred pounds sterling to anyone who could deliver a fresh mangosteen to her.

[6][10] Although this legend can be traced to a 1930 publication by the fruit explorer David Fairchild,[2] it is not substantiated by any known historical document.

"[19] Since 2006, private small-volume orders for fruits grown in Puerto Rico were sold to American specialty food stores and gourmet restaurants who serve the flesh segments as a delicacy dessert.

[5][20] Because young trees need shade,[5][21] intercropping with banana, plantain, rambutan, durian or coconut leaves is effective.

[22] Mangosteen trees have a weak root system and prefer deep, well-drained soils with high moisture content, often growing on riverbanks.

[5][10] In the breeding of perennial mangosteen, the selection of rootstock and grafting are significant issues to overcome constraints to production, harvesting, or seasonality.

[10][29] Without fumigation or irradiation (to kill the Asian fruit fly), fresh mangosteens were illegal to import into the United States until 2007.

[30] Following export from its natural growing regions in Southeast Asia (particularly Thailand), the fresh fruit is available seasonally in some local markets in North America such as those of Chinatowns.

[32] Upon arrival in the US in 2007, fresh mangosteens sold at up to $130/kg ($60/lb) in specialty produce stores in New York City, but wider availability and somewhat lower prices have become common in the United States and Canada.

[37] Dried fruits are shipped to Singapore to be processed for medical uses which may include dysentery, skin disorders, and various other minor diseases in several countries across Asia.

[5] There is no reliable evidence that mangosteen juice, puree, bark or extracts is effective as a treatment for human diseases.

[6][40] Additionally, there is no standard product quality assessment or grading system, making international trade of the fruit difficult.