Mango
- Mango is a very good source of Vitamin A, as well as Vitamins C and D.
- The trees are pollinated by wind and insects.
- Mango trees can live for over 100 years.
- The sap from the tree can cause a severe skin reaction in some people.
Mangifera indica
Originally from India and Myanmar, the Mango Tree has become naturalised throughout the tropics and subtropics. The mango tree is a large, spreading evergreen with a dense crown and rounded canopy. Mature trees can attain a height of 40 m or more, with a 60 to 120 cm trunk and greyish-brown, longitude-fissured bark. Most varieties flower once per year, producing dense clusters of flowers.
Leaves
Mango leaves are spirally arranged. Young leaves are copper-coloured, turning to light then dark shiny green as they mature. The leaves are either elliptical or lanceolate (pointed at both ends) with long petioles (“sticks” that attach the leaf to the branch) and a leathery texture.
Flowers
The tree produces dense clusters of flowers with cream-pink petals on loose flower branches. The flower clusters can reach full bloom, from the time of flower initiation, in 25-30 days.
Fruit
The mango fruit is large and roughly oval, with uneven sides, though the shape can vary from elongate (stretched out), oblong, ovate (egg shaped) or in between. The fruit is one-celled, with an outer flesh surrounding a stone. The flesh is soft and bright yellow-orange in colour. The skin of the fruit is yellow-green to red. Fruit length can range from 2.5 to over 30 cm, depending on the cultivar. The fruit grow fast and ripen after 3 to 4 months, some late cultivars after 5 months. The period from fruit set to maturity depends upon cultivar and climate and can range from 10 to 28 weeks.
- First fully open flower
- Less than half the tree is in full flower
- More than half the tree is in full flower
- All of the tree is in full flower
- No flowering
- Less than half the tree has fruit
- More than half the tree has fruit
- All of the tree has fruit
- No fruit
- Green fruit present
- Ripened fruit present
When to Look
- Year round
- In the tropics a flowering flush is produced during the dry season and can be erratic.
- Several mango cultivars have shown biennial flowering but most varieties flower only once per year.
Where to Look
- Found in most villages.
- In the tropics it grows almost anywhere below 1600 m, but it requires a dry season of more than 3 months for fruit production.
