When to Plant Longan in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Longan guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Longan is a hardy evergreen relative of lychee, growing 10 to 20 m unpruned or 3 to 4 m kept small, and is more cold and wind tolerant than lychee (Daleys).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Cool Temperate
Longan is not recommended for Cool Temperate.
A Mount Waverley VIC review keeps one in a pot and an Adelaide review has never seen a flower. Mature trees are badly damaged below minus 4 degrees and young trees die at minus 2 to minus 3 (IFAS). No source shows fruit in a cool temperate garden.
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How to Grow Longan in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Well drained soil with high soil moisture (Daleys). Intolerant of salt (IFAS).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun with wind protection for young trees (Daleys review).
- Keep away from
- Salty soil or bore water (IFAS), Windy exposed sites for young trees (Daleys review)
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Longan
Key Challenges
- Cold
- No flowering
Pro Tips
- Pot grown only, as a foliage plant (Daleys review)
Pests and problems for Longan in Cool Temperate
Harvesting Longan
When ready: Skin turns yellow brown to tan and the flesh tastes sweet; fruit does not sweeten after picking (Daleys; IFAS).
How to harvest: Cut whole panicles with secateurs and keep the fruit on the stem (IFAS).
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Longan
When do you plant longan in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Jan to Mar, Nov to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jan to Feb, Sep to Dec
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Nov
When should I plant Longan in Melbourne?
A Mount Waverley VIC review keeps one in a pot and an Adelaide review has never seen a flower. Mature trees are badly damaged below minus 4 degrees and young trees die at minus 2 to minus 3 (IFAS). No source shows fruit in a cool temperate garden.
How do I know when Longan are ready to harvest?
Skin turns yellow brown to tan and the flesh tastes sweet; fruit does not sweeten after picking (Daleys; IFAS).
Are longan salt tolerant?
No. Longan are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.