Plant care
Dukutemperature & humidity
Lansium domesticum
More about duku
Ideal temperature for duku
Temperature kills fewer duku plants than you'd think. What kills them is the micro-climate within a normal-temperature room — a leaf pressed against single-glazed winter glass, the hot dry updraft directly above a radiator, the cold blast from an AC vent. The thermostat reading at 22–35°C (72–95°F) is fine; the spot you put the plant in matters more. Below roughly 22°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Duku is frost-tender (USDA 11–12, RHS H1a). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for duku
Duku sits happiest at around 70–90% relative humidity. Demands high humidity — native to rainforest margins. In cultivation, placing containers on pebble trays, clustering plants, and regular misting all help. Dry air causes leaf edge browning and poor fruit set. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Duku temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for duku?
Duku grows best between 22–35°C (72–95°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can duku tolerate?
Duku starts to suffer below roughly 22°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does duku need?
Duku prefers about 70–90% relative humidity. Demands high humidity — native to rainforest margins. In cultivation, placing containers on pebble trays, clustering plants, and regular misting all help. Dry air causes leaf edge browning and poor fruit set.
How do I raise humidity for duku?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can duku live outside?
Duku is rated for USDA zone 11–12 and RHS hardiness H1a. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More duku care
In the UK? Keeping duku warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full duku care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.