🦔 Durian
Durio zibethinus
The king of fruits, wanted for olfactory crimes in three countries.
Sun
Full sun, 6+ hrs
Days to harvest
5+ years to fruit (a tropical fantasy in most of Florida)
Spacing
25–30 feet apart
Soil pH
5.5–6.5
How to grow
Honestly? This is a zone 10b–11 curiosity plant — it needs true tropical heat year-round and sulks below a light chill. Plant grafted trees in rich, deep, well-drained soil with wind protection. In Central or North Florida, admire it in a pot and keep your expectations in the greenhouse.
Water & feeding
Consistent moisture, never soggy; mulch heavily to mimic the rainforest floor it dreams about.
Common problems
- Cold damage — its nemesis
- Root rot in poorly drained soil
- Phytophthora in wet seasons
Harvest
Fruit drops when ripe — do not stand underneath. A falling durian is nature's spiked mace.
Nerdy fact: The infamous stink comes from sulfur-rich volatile compounds — the same chemical family as rotten eggs and skunk spray. It is banned on public transit across Southeast Asia, which is the strongest Yelp review ever written.