A rambutan tree with fruit, botanically know as Nephelium lappaceum. The rambutan tree reaches 50 to 80 ft (15-25 m) in height, has a straight trunk to 2 ft (60 cm) wide, and a dense, usually spreading crown.

The rambutan is a close relative of the lychee (Sapindaceae family) and an equally desirable, delicious and nutritious fruit. The word "rambut" in the fruit name 'rambutan' is Malay for 'hairy,' and this refers to the spiky rind. Without the soft spines on the rind, the rambutan would resemble the lychee. Within is the white or rose-tinted, translucent, juicy, sweet flesh, 1/6 to 1/3 in (0.4-0.8 cm) thick, adhering more or less to the ovoid or oblong, somewhat flattened seed.