Botanical Name: Mangifera indica

Family: Anacardiaceae (poison ivy family)

The Mango trees is found in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in a wide belt along the Yamuna river. Mango tree is an evergreen tree, native to India, widely found in South Asia. It is now also grown in the drier tropics and in the United States.  Mango is a tall tree growing up to 100 feet, a dense, heavy crown and a spread of 125 feet. The evergreen drooping leaves resemble those of the peach tree. Coppery to purplish-red at first but becoming green at maturity, they are lance-shaped and slightly curved. Mango tree is long lived, some specimen are more than 250 years old and are still bearing fruit. The flowers of mango are small, ivory colored and very numerous. The fruit clusters hang outside the foliage canopy.

Due to its superb, juicy, tasty and very colorful fruit, Mango is known as the 'King of fruits'. Called Am or Aaam in Hindi, Aamrum in Sanskrit, Mango in English and Spanish, manja in Dutch, it has a great variety in species, forms, size, color, scent, taste and quality. There are over 500 named varieties of the mango. The colorful, tasty, juicy, flavored fruit is known all over the world. Within each fruit there is a large flat elongated fibrous stone containing a single seed.

Famous Indian Varieties: Dussheri, Chosa, Langra, Safeda, Kalmi, Alphonso, Amrapali

Blooming Time: Late Winter - Early Spring

Culture: Mangifera indica does best in rich, well drained soils in hot, rather dry climates. Although trees thrive and make handsome ornamental specimens under continually rainy tropical conditions, no fruiting occurs. Mangos are fairly easy plants to grow in pots, but get large very quickly. A good compost for mangos consist of 2 parts peat moss to 2 parts loam to 1 part sharp sand. Since Mangos like dry conditions, water only enough to keep the plant from wilting. Fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ½ of the strength recommended on the label. Mangos usually start to produce fruit in 3 to 5 years.

Propagation: Mangifera indica are easily propagated from seed. Seed should be placed 3 to 4 inches deep in a large pot, seed usually germinate in 7 to 21 days.