Large, long‑lived evergreen tree 10–30 m tall with a wide, dome‑shaped crown and stout bole up to 1 m DBH. Bark dark grey‑brown, rough and fissured; inner bark exudes milky latex when cut. Leaves simple, leathery, lanceolate to oblong (15–35 × 3–10 cm), reddish in youth, maturing glossy dark green. Inflorescences are terminal panicles 10–40 cm bearing hundreds of tiny, fragrant, yellow‑green flowers with five petals; trees are mostly monoecious with both perfect and staminate flowers. Fruit is a fleshy drupe (botanically) 5–25 cm, 150 g – 2 kg, with smooth green skin that turns yellow‑orange‑red when ripe; mesocarp fibrous to fibre‑free, rich in carotenoids and sugars; single oblong seed 4–8 cm enclosed in a woody endocarp. Three main horticultural groups—Indian, Southeast Asian, and Indo‑Chinese—differ in fruit flavour, fibre and polyembryony. [1][3]
10–30 m height; trunk up to 1 m DBH
thousands of kilos
100+ yr (commercially productive 30–40 yr)
Not applicable (monoecious)
Not applicable (monoecious)
Seed‑grown: 5–8 yr; grafted cultivars: 3–4 yr
In Costa Rica main bloom Dec – Mar (dry season)
Large, long‑lived evergreen tree 10–30 m tall with a wide, dome‑shaped crown and stout bole up to 1 m DBH. Bark dark grey‑brown, rough and fissured; inner bark exudes milky latex when cut. Leaves simple, leathery, lanceolate to oblong (15–35 × 3–10 cm), reddish in youth, maturing glossy dark green. Inflorescences are terminal panicles 10–40 cm bearing hundreds of tiny, fragrant, yellow‑green flowers with five petals; trees are mostly monoecious with both perfect and staminate flowers. Fruit is a fleshy drupe (botanically) 5–25 cm, 150 g – 2 kg, with smooth green skin that turns yellow‑orange‑red when ripe; mesocarp fibrous to fibre‑free, rich in carotenoids and sugars; single oblong seed 4–8 cm enclosed in a woody endocarp. Three main horticultural groups—Indian, Southeast Asian, and Indo‑Chinese—differ in fruit flavour, fibre and polyembryony. [1][3]
Primary producer; flowers supply nectar/pollen to honey bees and stingless bees; ripe fruit eaten by bats, coatis and toucans dispersing seeds into secondary growth
Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Some cultivars are polyembryonic, producing multiple clonal seedlings from one seed.
Unripe mango contains high levels of starch that convert to sugars as it ripens.
Mango peel and sap can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals due to urushiol‑like compounds.
Fossil evidence suggests Mangifera lineage dates back at least 25 million years.
Introduced
Stable
