🥭 Mango (*Mangifera indica*)
🔤 Name English / nombre español / Name Deutsch
Mango / Mango / Mango
📄 General description
Mango is a large tropical fruit tree known for its sweet, juicy fruits. It is widely grown throughout the tropics and has hundreds of cultivars, ranging in flavor, size, and fiber content.
Mango trees are valued not only for fruit but also for shade and as landscape trees in tropical regions.
🌿 Botanical Characteristics:
Family
Anacardiaceae / (Cashew or sumac family)
Growth and Structure
Large evergreen tree. 10–30 m tall, with wide spreading crown
Leaves
Dark green, leathery, lanceolate leaves; reddish when young
Flowers
Tiny, white-pinkish, in large panicles
Pollination
Mostly insect-pollinated (bees, flies); sometimes wind-assisted
Sexual System
Hermaphroditic
Sexual System Notes
Male and bisexual flowers occur on the same tree; cross-pollination improves fruit set
🌤️ Soil and Climate Preferences
Mango prefers well-drained soil and full sun exposure.
Sensitive to waterlogging and frost. Performs best in dry-tropical to sub-humid climates with pronounced dry season.
🥭 Fruit and Use:
General Use
Consumed fresh, in juices, desserts, pickles, or dried; green mangoes used in savory dishes
Ripening Season in Costa Rica
Primarily March–May, sometimes with smaller second flush
Common Fruit Traits
Oval to kidney-shaped, yellow-orange flesh, low to high fiber, sweet to spicy taste
Climacteric Category
Strongly climacteric
👉🏽 Climacteric category overview
Climacteric Category Notes
Mango is a strongly climacteric fruit, meaning it continues to ripen significantly after harvest due to high ethylene production.
🌱 Propagation and Grafting
Usually propagated by grafting (cleft or veneer); seed-grown trees are less predictable in quality and take longer to fruit.
Grafted varieties ensure consistency in fruit traits.
✂️ Care & Challenges:
Pruning
Needs periodic pruning to maintain manageable size and promote airflow
Diseases and Pests
Watch for anthracnose and powdery mildew. Fruit flies, scale insects, and mango seed weevils may occur
Soil and Fertilization
Avoid excess moisture; mulch helps retain humidity in dry season
🧺 Harvest Notes
Fruits mature 3–5 months after flowering. Harvest when fruit turns color and becomes fragrant; handle gently to avoid bruising.
📍 Individuals in the field
will be added soon