PlantFiles: Mango
Mangifera indica

Mangoes grow happily in many gardens in Miami, and those fortunate to have them have a lot to eat and share during the months of June and July. In my landlord's garden, we had 3 mangoes, probably 3 varieties. Two were better with their crops.
It is also very easy to sprout one from seed, I've done it after finishing a store-bought mango fruit. This happened sometime this April, and in about two weeks I've had a mango baby. Didn't do anything special.

Mango is a worldwide "emerging allergen" meaning that many new cases of allergies, many severe, are reported. It is occuring, as expected, that increased cases of mango allergy are being reported in the West (due to increased exposure from many new products).

Many people who are sensitized to poison ivy (same botanical family) as children are also allergic to mangoes and related fruit/nuts/products.

People diagnosed with mango allergy are also warned to avoid cashews and pistachios because of the danger of a reaction. Mango allergy often indicates futher allergies or cross-reactivity allergies to other pollen, fruit, vegetables and/or latex.

All aspects of the mango tree, including pollen, fruit, wood (now popular for furniture), can cause reactions. Some reactions to mango skin/stem resin include severe dermatitis, blistering, burning and rash, sometimes only occuring around the mouth. Mango allergy is often dangerous enough to warrant the carrying of an Epi-Pen.

well im from australia, i have a bowen mango and i can't get it to hold fruit ive sprayed it,drowned it with water,fed it but nothing seems to work , it gets like a spiders web all over the flower and then they die , can some one please help me

thanks sincers\o.o/

People are often surprised that mangoes do very well in Phoenix Arizona. They take the heat very well as long as they are given enough water. Frost damage in the winter can be avoided by placing them in a good microclimate, such as near a wall. An article on growing mangoes in the lower desert can be found at the following link.

[HYPERLINK@www.phoenixtropicals.com]

Before I moved to Florida I could not have told you what the heck a "mango" was but now it's my favorite fruit! The tree is a lovely evergreen tree with attractive leaves and the luscious fruit makes it even better.

The marvelous Mango ! When tree ripened there is nothing better.However, beware! The mango is in the same botanical family as poison oak/ivy. After eating mango be sure to wash your face and hands carefully. If some mango juice stays on your skin and you are sensitive to it, you will break out in an itchy rash in a few days. Here in Southern California mango has been grown for decades in many frost-free areas. Trees grown from seed take about 5 years to begin producing and sometimes the fruit can be delicious. The best mangoes on the market here come from the miles of orchards in Mexico south of Mazatlan on the Pacific coast.
Fruit from South America has to be picked very green (and hard) to stand the long voyage to the U.S. and is rarely as delicious as that from Mexico. The best varieties we get are Hayden, Kent and Keitt with Tommy Atkins a bit fibrous. Try to find fruit that has begun to soften and is fragrant. The seed is shaped like a huge lima bean so slice off the flesh from each side, cup it in one hand and eat it with a spoon. Clean off the seed as much as possible, let it dry for a couple of days and then very carefully open the husk. If the seed has begun to spoil in any way (turning black) don't use it.
Plant it standing edgewise with the round side up and not quite covered with dirt. The root will start to grow from one end of the seed in a few days if kept at around 75 degrees and grow rapidly using the nourishment in the seed. The sprout and the root grow from the same end of the seed. The tap root needs plenty of room to grow so start out with a deep pot. Another way (which I prefer) to start a mango seed is to very carefully remove the seed from the husk and suspend it in water with just the bottom edge submerged. The advantage in this method is that you can examine the seed for any signs of rot and also watch the development of the root and sprout. Since mangos are picked green to be hard enough to stand the trip to the US, be examined by Agriculture and bathed in very hot water to kill any insects and plant diseases, and on through wholesaler and retailer, not to mention refrigeration along the way, the chances for the seed to become spoiled are high. It is very disappointing to plant a seed in it's husk and never see it develop. I make a U-shaped cradle of half inch hardware cloth with "wings" on each side to hold the seed in the top of a glass or plastic jar. Make a notch in the bottom of the cradle at one end for the root and make sure the root which starts to grow first, does not go through the mesh. When the sprout has developed a few leaves transfer the plant to a deep pot or into the ground if your garden is frost free. Do not separate the plant from the seed as it is still used by the plant for nourishment. After about 5 years with any luck it should start producing! WalterT.

Mangifera indica is known as 'Bowen Mango' in Australia. It got its name from a town in far north Queensland. On the Tweed Coast (coastal border of NSW & Queensland) quite a few of the old homes have a mango tree and there is an old saying re the mangos - 'a bumper crop of mangos, a bumper crop of cyclones (hurricanes)'.

I do have to fight with the local fruit bats to get some fruit, so I have decided that they can have the ones I cant reach from our ladder!

Mangoes are my most favorite fruit of all. I grew up in Cuba where we had a huge Hayden in the middle of our patio and another unkown variety in the back. Here in Hawaii almost everyone has a mango tree in their yard. Ours fruits from mid to late May and on until late August. I put a lot of it in the freezer to use during months we don't have fresh fruit. When I see recipes for peaches, apricots and nectarines (which I also love) in my mind I automatically think mangoes. I have been collecting mango recipes, lore, etc...any and all info I can find on mangoes for years in the hope of someday putting together a book.

Mango is easily started from seed. Even though they may take a while to set fruit, they are a beautiful plant. The foliage is so beautiful that I grow them just for that, like a houseplant. :)

I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where in the summertime it is hot and humide. I planted a mango seed at the end of April 2003. And now it is about 6 inches high. Now that winter is approaching, I have put the pot in the apartment and will see what happens next. Will need to put it in a bigger pot soon. And I'm keeping it well-watered. So far so good. We will see what happens next.

Thailand’s most popular mango, 'Nam Doc Mai' was brought into the US around 1973. In southeast Asia, 'Nam Doc Mai' is eaten ripe as well as when it is hard green.

In the US, Nam Doc Mai appears to be the most popular of the southeast Asian varieties of mango. With the unique characteristics of its indo-chinese origin, this Polyembryonic import from Thailand had been showing up in more and more homeowners’ gardens in Florida.

I like this tree. I have two--a Glenn and an Alanpur Banishan, a semi-dwarf that is my favorite. Once established, they more or less take care of themselves without either irrigation or fertilizer. The older they get, however, the more fruit they produce--and older trees can be like a zucchini patch.

If let alone in good climate conditions, mango trees can reproduce fast. It's a real problem in areas surrounded by native forests, but a great advantage for people who want to grow it to sell the fruits.

There are many varieties of Mangoes. The finest tasting fruit to me is the Alphonso variety from India. It is sweet and soft. The flesh is golden orange color. For first time growers of the mango, avoid buying and planting seedlings if you want good fruit because seedlings seldom produce good tasting fruit.

Mango trees are deep-rooted, symmetrical evergreens that attain heights of 90 feet and widths of 80 feet. They have simple alternate lanceolate leaves that are 12 to 16 inches in length and yellow-green, purple, or copper in color when young.

Mature leaves are leathery, glossy, and deep green in color. New leaves arise in terminal growth flushes that occur several times a year. Mature terminal branches bear pyramidal flower panicles that have several hundred white flowers that are about a 1/4 inch wide when open.

Most of the flowers function as males by providing pollen, but some are bisexual and set fruit. Pollination is by flies, wasps, and bees.

The fruit weighs about 1/4 pound to 3 pounds. Fruit may be round, ovate, or obovate depending on the variety. The immature fruit has green skin that gradually turns yellow, orange, purple, red, or combinations of these colors as the fruit matures. Mature fruit has a characteristic fragrance and a smooth, thin, tough skin. The flesh of ripe mangos is pale yellow to orange. The flesh is juicy, sweet, and sometimes fibrous.

Mango trees make handsome landscape specimens and shade trees. They are erect and fast growing with sufficient heat, and the canopy can be broad and rounded, or more upright, with a relatively slender crown. The tree is long-lived with some specimens known to be over 300 years old and still fruiting.

Dwarf varieties can be container grown.