Mangifera indica (mango)

Japanese name: マンゴー
Scientific name: Mangifera indica

[Overview]
An evergreen tree 10–40 m tall.
Said to be of cultivated origin, it is widely grown in the tropics of the world.
The trunk is upright, and the crown is dome-shaped.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong to lanceolate, 8–40 cm long and 2–10 cm wide, with entire margins.
Young leaves are tinged with red.
Panicles at the branch tips bear hundreds to thousands of flowers.
The flowers have 5 petals and are white, pink or red.
The fruit is oblong to comma-shaped, and the fruit surface varies widely, being yellow, green, red and so on.
The mesocarp turns yellow to orange and becomes fleshy; it is juicy, sweet and sour, and edible.
There are many cultivars, and the size, shape and color of the fruit differ by cultivar.

[History]
Cultivated since ancient times, in India it has been deeply connected with culture and religion (Hinduism, Buddhism) for 4000 years.

[Uses]
The flesh (mesocarp) is eaten as fruit, and unripe fruit is made into pickles and the like.
In India it is used for chutney.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by grafting.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil, and flower buds do not differentiate without sunlight.
Because it is a tropical plant, its optimum growth temperature is high, 20°C or above, and it dies if exposed to frost.
In winter, keep it in a sunny place indoors so that the minimum temperature stays at 5°C or above.
Water when the soil surface dries.
From flowering to fruiting it easily runs short of water, so water generously.
Keeping it on the dry side in winter makes overwintering easier and also makes flower bud differentiation easier.
Apply slow-release chemical fertilizer during the growing season from spring to autumn.
When the flowers open, lightly stroke them with a brush or similar to pollinate them artificially, which makes fruit set easier.
Pests include scale insects and spider mites.

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