Transplantation of Durian abroad
Durian fruits are not widely available outside of Southeast Asia. Some fruits may occasionally make it to delicatessen shops in the US and specifically Western Canada, but they are always imported from Southeast Asia, and they are usually of the Thai variety, which is durable but lacks in taste.
It wouldn't have to be this way. The durian tree, of course, is native to Southeast Asia, primarily Sumatra and Borneo.
But durian trees could easily be transplanted to equatorial Africa, or equatorial Central America, or in the Southern United States, or possibly even southern Mediterranean Europe.
The reason why it hasn't been planted in these areas of the world probably has to do with the fruit's smell. Farmers outside Southeast Asia have never had much confidence that it would sell.
But of the people from Western countries who have visited Southeast Asia, or even have lived here for some time, a good number have learned to love the fruit.
As a matter of fact, there are few culinary delicacies that have as dedicated a following as does the durian, in Southeast Asia as well as among Westerners who have tasted it. Few people would drive 10 or 20 kilometers a day for the opportunity to eat apples, or pineapples, or bananas. We eat these fruits when they are available… and when they are not, never mind, we eat something else.
But to obtain durians, many people would take considerable effort. Plant their own durian trees, for example.
If the Western durian lovers who have been to Southeast Asia (as normal tourists, or as sex tourists, or, increasingly, as cosmetic surgery tourists looking for the best deals in facelifts, hair transplantations, liposuction, or tummy tucks) have the opportunity to eat quality durians at a good price, they may even travel 50 kilometers, or they may finally decide to plant some themselves.
Anyway, among the Southeast Asian magical plants and herbs that are supposed to help with sexual desire and sexual function, durians are still the easiest to handle. Trying to grow some tongkat ali, kacip fatimah, or sirih leaves will be more effort.
Durian trees take 5 to 10 years to bear fruit, and when they do, you can expect 20 to 50 fruits every year. The tree will grow on any kind of soil, provided it gets enough water, especially during the time, the fruit ripens. Genuine durians (not the Thai plastic variety) should be left to ripen on the tree, until they fall down. They are at their best in the first 12 hours after having falling off the tree.