The Tropical Fruit Forum

NOTE: Mallika is NOT a compact mango, please see the description of the tree size. It is a vigorous cultivar that needs pruning to be maintained at a small height. This is the reason why it was not included in the original list. However it has received several honorable mentions for responding well to tip pruning/training so it's characteristics are listed here. But please be advised that Mallika does not fit the criteria of compact mango

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Mallika

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- In my experience, Mallika is not a small tree; its actually a fairly vigorous grower. I would even say more than the NDM #4, dwarfing or regular rootstock. For some reason it has been promoted as a 'semi-dwarf' when it is nothing of the sort. Mallika could probably benefit more from being grafted to dwarfing stock than NDM. (REF)

-- So Mallika and Beverly and Fairchild are not very compact on their own, but can be made that way every year.(REF)

--  For a dwarf it's leggy, not well branched(REF)

-- Another mango I'd recommend is Mallika. Though it's a vertical grower like Maha Chanok, it responds very nicely to tip pruning and doesn't develop "droopy" resultant shoots like Coconut Cream and Pickering. (REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Mallika: very nice sweet mango [orange, carrot, papaya tones depending on stage], great production/ disease(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

Looks like mid-season given commment timestamps

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

--  think Mallika fruits can be variable like Neelam. Both are Indian mangoes
I remember a poster here said his mallikas tasted like carrots and he was going to axe the tree.(REF)

-- Dasheri on the other hand gets lots of praise and is touted as the best mango India has. One neighbour even told me that a well ripened Mallika tastes just like it.(REF)

-- I've never had Mallika...I've heard the word "carrot" taste in some of the descriptions. Is it true? I personally wouldn't think I would like a Mango with that flavor in it...but I can't be sure of course till I actually taste one.(REF)

-- I don't detect any "carrot" in Mallika's flavor at all...."honey" is the dominant flavor note but it does have more subtle undertones.(REF)

-- This season is my first experience with attempting to properly ripen a Mallika Mango.  My trees produced about a dozen or so mature fruit, and I have been picking and ripening them for a few weeks.  It has been difficult to determine the correct timing, as they did appear large and mature enough to me beginning in early June.

The first fruit I attempted to ripen did color change to a nice, beautiful yellow.  When I cut it up however, it had almost zero sweetness.  Obviously picked too early.  Then over the past 6 weeks or so, I picked and ripened a number of the fruits.  All were green when picked, and were various stages of yellow when "ripe".  They were good, but not top tier, lacking enough sweetness to stand amongst the top dogs.

Then last friday, July 13th,  Sheehan brought to the tasting table at Harry's 2 beautiful yellow Mallika's.  They actually appeared fake, they were just that perfect looking.  One was tree ripened, and one was picked green and ripened in a bag.  They were both very good, and by far the best Mallika's I had had up to that point.  Top 5 out of 20+ varieties at the table.  Most agreed that the picked green individual tasted better, although some did prefer the tree ripened one.  According to Sheehan's " Brix -o-meter", the picked green one had more sugar content.

Yesterday, I had Seadation over for a mini tasting.  On the table were a fully ripened Khun See,  Nam Doc Mai, Carrie, and Alphonso, and my Mallika that had been picked green on July 5, and ripened in a paper bag for 10 days.  This (one amongst a group of 3) Mallika that I picked was not really yellow.  More of a funky green with a mottled skin.  It had been 10 days since picking, and they just "felt" right.

The result ?  The best Mallika I have ever had.  It was just delicious.  Rich, complex sweet, with hints of citrus and vanilla.  Destroyed the competition, and is burned into my memory as one of the best.(REF)

-- mallika:  sorry, I just don't like mallika, at all!(REF)

-- dear all...,Mallika mango from India is undoubtedly the world's finest mango in taste...(REF)

-- Mallika is a great mango for sure,  but "worlds finest" depends on the person eating the mango,  no mango will ever be, everyone's favorite.  also there are over 1000 varieties of mangoes with new hybrids being introduced all the time,  so even the Mallika may be bred to make it even better. (REF)

-- I will agree 100% that a well ripened Mallika can be as good ss any Zills variety. (REF)

-- I was the poster who said the Mallika tasted like carrots; and they did one year. However, in subsequent years, if they are picked at the right time they are some of the best mangoes I've had. However, they are finicky on when to be picked, and if picked too early/too late can have a carrot taste or fizz grape soda taste (overripe). I would not ax the tree we have. (REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Villa Señor, Villa Senor, Villaseñor, Villasenor

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- -- Here in SoCal ... Villa Señor .. Are compact slow growers.(REF)

-- Villaseñor-Origin Los Angeles, 1950s, Sr. Villaseñor. Tree dwarf, spreading, responds to strong rootstock.  (REF)

-- Wow!! That's the perfect size mango for me...nicely shaped  ...... Gorgeous tree!!(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- .... and look at ALL those mangoes on the tree!! ...(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- Late midseason (Dec Jan).  (REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- Villaseñor-Origin Los Angeles, 1950s, Sr. Villaseñor. Tree dwarf, spreading, responds to strong rootstock. Fruit medium, to 12 oz., shape ovate, color greenish yellow, pink blush, flavor mild. Late midseason (Dec Jan). For coast, foothills. (REF)

-- This is a Socal variety, very underrated, nice flavor.(REF)

-- I've grown this mango two blocks from the ocean in south Ocean Beach in San Diego.   Villa Senor is an excellent mild mango, beautiful sweet yummy mango flavor, beautifully strong skin(not a weak skin), beautiful orange flesh, low fiber, no diseases on the fruit, no disease on the leaves.  Light brown new growth.  I grafted two seedlings that I planted from seed from store bought mangos of whatever varieties, with the Villa Senor in the late 1990's.   The seedlings were about 7 years old already, didn't produce any worthwhile fruit as seedlings.   However, in 2009 I had them both taken out in due to redevelopment.  Bonita Creek Nursery has one of them, which they're using for scion propagation.   A super basic easy growing problem free mango with basic beautiful flavor.
Where's the Villa Senor that's in the picture?
Let's get that propagated.  Let's do tissue culture to ramp up production quickly.

And with perhaps our new norm of more heat, "Enjoy The Heat, Grow Mangos"(REF)

-- Mild may be "perfect" for some people.  its all about personal taste.

there will probably never be a "perfect" mango, because of different preferences.  I would rather have a mild, sweet mango that  has a creamy texture, and nice aroma, than an intense variety that is grainy. I like Kent and Glenn which are have been labeled "mild".

and that's another point, mild to one person may be strong for another, I have even seen Keitts described as Mild, I wouldn't call those mild.

and what is it that classifies a variety as mild? just weak flavor, or low acidity? or low aroma? I mean you could have a variety that has good mango flavor, but may be low in acid and aroma, and to some that may be considered mild. then there are those that like that resin turpy flavor, and use that as the scale of what is mild or not.(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Thomson

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Thomson is another California variety small to medium tree.(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

?

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- It's a mid to late season fruit in SoCal October to December(REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

--  The fruit is small fiberless and lemony sweet. (REF)

-- Found out from and old article that the varieties ;' T-1' and 'Thomson' were seedlings that Paul T. took from Old Mango that was on the property when he bought the place in Vista. That old tree was called Edgehill because his property was at end of Edgehill street at the time. That's very cool that your saving some of those varieties hopefully will grow strong for you!
Joe, there has to be a treasure drove of Mangos down in that area with all those people experimenting with them for all those years back when! Looking through the old F.G. I found out Orton H. Englehart registered a Ortonio avocado witch I had never heard of compared to Creamhart which I have heard of! (REF)

-- Scott, Jim Nitzel told us last year that Leo took cutting from Mr. Thomson and  Colonal Bucklew yards as well as other influential SoCal mango growers. They have quite a large selection that are not publish in the Fruit Gardener. For example, the Giant Rose is a large creamy, sweet, fruity mango  with a peachy taste.(REF)

-- JF - thanks for the Peggy/Ultimate clarification.  You guys speak so highly of Thomson mangoes, I wonder how much flavor improvement from the Manila?  I like Manila but that's because they're always available.(REF)

-- Thomson T-1 mango - according to Leo, Paul Thomson preferred this mango many times over his other commercialized cultivar, Thomson mango.(REF)

-- Thompson-(syn. Thomson Large Seedling)
Origin Vista, Paul Thomson, 1966. Manila seedling, polyembryonic. Tree spreading, vigor dependent upon rootstock. Fruit small to medium, (6-12 oz.), yellow, shape flat, to eight inches. Resists mildew. High fiber under chemical fertilizer regime. Season early, long (September-November), ripens well indoors if picked prematurely. For coast(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Rosigold

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Based on my limited experience i would add Rosigold to the list. Mine is about 8 feet tall and its growth is pretty compact.(REF)

-- has a dwarf habit(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

--  It's highly productive, precocious,(REF)

--  I have one that is about 3 feet tall and loaded with fruit.  (REF)

-- (On the subject of Pickering vs. Rosigold) From my experience, there is no comparison between the two as far as production and disease resistance.  Pickering wins hands down.  At my house, without spraying heavily, multiple blooming Rosigold will not mature many, if any fruits.  Even with spraying the Rosigold, while not having to spray the Pickering, I think Pickering is slightly better in overall flavor,  Of course, that is subjective and as we always say....taste before deciding.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- I would term the 'regular season' as typically beginning in March for the earliest stuff along the coastal regions(Rosigold, Rosa, Edward, etc) (REF)

-- I'll take it! This to me is definite proof that Rosigold can produce ripe/mature fruit in February, thank you mangomandan for the unexpected good news.(REF)

-- My 'Rosigold' mango has been consistently fruiting in the first few days of ..March(REF)

-- Although Rosigold is consistently the one of the earliest, if not the earliest mango maturing at my place, it is most usually a March to April event.  It can mature in February but that is not the norm.  So for all you mango season extending enthusiasts......you better get that miracle mango to start "miracling" though out the winter months.  Good luck to you.  I haven't had the benefit of the miracle as of yet.  But then again, its only been about 18 or so years, so I'll continue to be patient. (REF)

-- Here's another tree I really like -- the Rosigold. Year after year, this tree sets 2 crops, one maturing in April and the other maturing in the summer.(REF)

-- (More on Pickering vs. Rosigold) I'd agree with Harry that the Pickering is a better choice. The pickering is an incredible tree. It's a jawdropping sight to see an older pickering with 1000's of bb-sized fruits. However, having fruits in April (a characteristic of the rosigold) is quite awesome. (REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- I've eaten a couple Rosigolds this month. The first, very ripe, was just sweet enough to justify eating the whole fruit.

The second, just barely ripe, did taste pretty good, nice blend of sweet and tart.   Maybe not quite as "mangoey" as I'd prefer.(REF)

-- Then was a first season Rosigold. Nice strong flavor (we have had almost no rain on the east coast of florida this summer), but a little disappointing. I did not think it was very sweet. Maybe the ones later will be better.(REF)

--  I have only tried one early rosigold, and found it good, but not great--kinda rubbery and not complex. (REF)

-- During June or July your right Rosigold would be just a decent mango, nothing to write home about...But in April, its an excellent mango thats far better then anything else available. I had my first one of the season yesterday and it was outstanding. It certainly gets bonus points for fruiting in April when its the only mango.  (REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Rosa

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Rosa, from Brazil, does well kept compact.  (REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

?

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- early (REF)

-- 'Rosa' season is still on (comment made on Apr 27), but will be finished in about a week.(REF)

-- 'Rosa' is Very Early and Early (sometimes into mid--- extended harvest); (REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- ROSA MANGO, also called ROSA OF BAHIA or ROSA OF PERNAMBUCO! Is a traditional Brazilian variety, very early cultivar and is harvested before Tommy Atkins, Very good flavor and aroma. It is totally resistant to Fusarium (malformation).(REF)

-- I like 'Rosa' a lot, because I grew up eating it in northern Brazil, and because I like really strong-tasting mangos.(REF)

-- Never had, nor even heard of Pope or Excel.  I did have a chance to taste (thanks to Murahilin) the Rosa, Tess and Hawaiian Dwarf.  Since these were the first mangoes of the season, not purchased from the store, they enjoy the glow of that status and get some additional points  for being so early. Kinda like my uncle who always said I was his favorite (but really only) nephew.

All of these mangoes fall into the category, for me, as great, when there are no other mangoes around, but would never even be given a thought during the regular mango season. My least favorite was Hawaiian Dwarf.  It was small and somewhat firm and predominantly green on the outside.  I wondered if it was even ripe from its exterior feeling and look.  However, inside it was clear that it was ripe. It had been refrigerated.  So that could have affected its overall eating quality. I liked the other two more, but neither had any really superlative qualities.  I did try eating the skin with the Rosa as was suggested.  That did impart a small amount of resinous twang that Har inidcates that he refers in his mangoes. For me, the skin is a bit too tough to really give me any enjoyment in the eating of the otherwise softer, succulent mango flesh. I will not be making a habit of eating the skin on this or any other mango in all probability.  But, as Har indicated, there is no biterness in the Rosa skin....which I will be taking his word is different than what you get when you eat the skin of other mangoes.

On the early mango front, I forgot another of my very advanced cultivars.  Its the Kau Dwarf out of Hawaii. Its a red skinned cultivar that I thonk has some commercial promise here.  As I recall now, it has been the first to fruit (after Rosigold when it fruits) in previous years.
(REF)

--
'Rosa' is very firm, moderately fibrous, sweet-tart and very resinous if you eat the skin with the pulp--- delicious, with none of the bitterness found in the skins of most other varieties.(REF)

-- Rosa is similar to Palmer mango in taste!(My opinion) (REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Pina Colada

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- At least in my yard the new Zill Pina Colada is a slow, non-vigorous grower. In fact It does not grow fast enough for me! The fruits taste great, an 8.5 out of 10 but are small. Maybe I got a dwarfish pina colada. Maybe others have different experience.(REF)

-- I don't see Pina Colada as being that small in the long run.(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- My Pina Colada tree had a full bloom and bore one (1) fruit.  It was unevenly ripened.  I cut off two main branches and am topworking the tree into a more productive variety.(REF)

-- I was optimistic when I planted my Pina Colada mango tree.  It has been in the ground for about two years.  It had a full bloom this year and zero fruit set.  In comparison other trees of the same age have produced over 30 mangos.  I plan on giving Pina Colada another year, but I am doubtful of the tree's ability to be productive in my yard.  In preparation to say farewell, I grafted two scions of a Carrie mango to the trunk of the Pina Colada.  (REF)

-- Patience Grasshopper.   You need to give tgese trees at leadt 5 years.  If this is your thinking, you better get that axe out andbuy a bunch of pine trees.(REF)

-- Those two above photos were a joke. My PC is still small and is slow growing. I had two bland fruits from it last year. This year - a profusion of beautiful panicles that look better than what I see on other mango trees, but no fruits stayed. Might have been raining and fungus hit them.(REF)

-- The Pina Colada was productive when it was 40-14 and mother tree be productive since it has been named Pina Colada.  I have seen the mother tree however I am not at liberty to post any pictures of it.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

?

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- I've only tasted 6-8 Pina Colada mangos over the last few years.  Last week I ate two, one of which was a bit tart for my taste. The other was possibly the finest damn thing I have ever tasted. I would compare it to mango candy, except that no candy could be that good.

I wonder if Patrick's care regimen was as successful with his Pina Colada as it was with Lemon Zest.(REF)

-- It can be very good if left to ripen to the proper stage prior to harvest.  Would I rank it in the tops, don't think so.  Texture is very soft.  Picked to early, it is very chalky and will not have the proper flavor profile it should have.  If space is limited and a factor, I would think hard about planting one.  If space is more on the unlimited side, then stick one in the ground.

As for small mango and big seed, I am also not in the boat.  Its all about the quality first.  Sweet Tart is smaller in size with an obnoxious seed but I will highly recommend it because of its flavor.  I would rather eat two amazing mangoes than one average mango just based on flesh to seed ratio.(REF)

-- I ate my first Pina Colada fruit yesterday. It was a bit tart similar to Sweet and tart mango. Did not taste like a pina colada cocktail. My tree is slow growing about 5.5 ft tall and the fruits are small. I give it a high rating but its is based on just one fruit.(REF)

-- Same as Mr Clean, my Pina Colada is a slow and frustrating grower. Easily the worst grower of my new Zills which are also LZ and ST (Sweet Tart). My pina colada also having a bizarrely wide diameter at the base at the graft. Also having a branching out that is 50% of optimum. For comparison I have another grafted tree next to it, planted at same time, that is growing 3 times better. I will post photos.

I hope my pina colada is not on some kind of dwarfing rootstock. Doubtful that it is on a Zill experimental dwarfing rootstock but I wonder.....

pina colada had a spectacular bloom this spring but held no fruits. Hopefully this big bloom means some fruit for 2015. But with such slow growth I hope I have the future orientation to remove all 2015 fruits except one. On iffy trees there is a low anxiety, I am always thinking/wondering ahead about what it will do next year. Anxiety about wasted space in my non-infinite size yard because I do have non-mango trees in pots that need to be in ground but I lack the space. Make that wasted in ground growth time too for these deserving but presently potted fruit trees.

BTW I think it is always good idea to have an army reserve of "new soldiers" growing in pots in case a fruit tree has a disaster or tastes awful. If you never plant them you can always sell them. I recently sold a muscadine grape I was waiting to plant that had great new growth on it simply because four months ago I stepped it up from the original one gallon to a three gallon pot. Thus the buyer has a better head start, She bought it to have grape vines covering part of a garden gazebo, to cool it in summer.

Anyone know when Pina Colada fruits tend to come in? Mid-season or outside mid-season?(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Peggy

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Here in SoCal ... Peggy ... Are compact slow growers.(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Jim, mangofang & Eunice admiring the multi-grafted Peggy mango tree ... Jim calls this Peggy tree "the always reliable"(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- I have a second crop of cogshall, 76, 1 Edward, 10-15 Duncans, 4 ST, a bunch of manga blanc, 10 Peggy recommend this mango as a nice late mangos for you guys, and few other stuff. (REF)

-- In SoCal we have a different schedule. Here is a list of early mangos. Mid-October - November , Peggy(REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

--  Peggy brix 23 on ataulfo grafted last year(REF)

-- It seems I had spoken too soon regarding Peggy not having rich flavor.  The 2nd of those two mangoes sat out a week longer, without any sign of breaking down, tasted fantastic.  It was sweeter and whatever acidity the 1st fruit had was not detected at all in this mango.  I dare to venture a turf war in say this mango is better than Pickering

Absolutely worth growing for SoCal, don't know if it's proven elsewhere.(REF)

-- Jim told me that Peggy's is called Ultimate, or something like that, because there is another variety in Florida by the same last name of Winter(20222). The Early Gold we had was a chance seedling of that variety from Captain Bucklew. I will call Jim and confirm. I think both of those mangos are excellent. Like I said, I don't know why they havent been propagated....they are superior mangos in the same category as Dot or Fairchild.(REF)

-- Of the mangoes sampled that day, many of us agreed Peggy was clearly the breadwinner.  Not as rich compared to others I've had, but outstanding flavor nonetheless.  Very sweet with a light sub-acid balance that sits just right, very juicy flavor - does that make any sense?

Monoembryonic seed
Firm flesh
Fiberless
Sweet & nice aroma even before cut open(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Nam Doc Mai #4, Nam Doc Mai 4, NDM #4, NDM#4, NDM4

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- nam doc mai is compact(REF)

-- Low spread out shape of Nam Doc Mai #4 when young --3 years. I have been tip pruning it. I have two of them (young) that spread wide like this. The plastic pipe in photo is 63". My older NDM is ball shaped. So the NDM tendency is low, not upward and tall like a Haden or Kent(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Also included is my little NDM#4 (3.5 ft high) putting forth lots of nice fruit for its size.(REF)

-- A regular NDM tree grows more quickly than NDM #4 and the #4 seems to set more fruit. NDM #4 seems to be more prone to fruit splitting and I've seen conjectures like too much fertilizer nitrogen, soil conditions and variable water availability while maturing fruit to explain this.(REF)

-- My observation is consistent with NDM4 being more prone to splitting, but it seems to affect the early crop to a much greater degree. The NDM4 seems to poop out the first crop super early, and 90% of them split. The summer crop seems to fare better.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- NDM - mid (there are some people who have gotten it to produce in the off season (November/December)(REF)

-- A number of varieties will throw off-season bloom, typically southeast Asian descended cultivars but I've had Indian, Egyptian and Florida varieties do it to on rare occasion. Chokanon is the most famous for this but Thai Everbearing does it frequently as well (and tastes much better). Nam Doc Mai and others too. This is irregular though.(REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- NDM -nam doc mai is compact but the mango has straight sweet honey taste. I would plant it only if I have the more complex ones that also have tart component. (REF)

-- NDM is just kind of a plain sweet mango.  No complexity. (REF)

--  NDM is a delicious and adding an asian mango , if you dont have one, may be the thing to do. Im not sure why NDM isnt a firat choice other than splitting issues, which may not be a problem in your area (my neighbors tree hasnt had a problem )(REF)

-- NDM is a "basic" sweet mango.  Good for someone who is just looking for that however if you are looking for something more in terms of complexity from an Asian/Thai, look towards a Mahachanok. (REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Mahachanok

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Mahachanok will get larger than Pickering. (REF)

-- I have seen them slow and moderate growers, it seems to vary based on location.   They can probably be kept in the 10 - 12 foot range with proper pruning.  I think you would do better at 15 feet but thats your call. (REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Pickering will give more fruit as a smaller tree than Mahachanok. (REF)

-- MahaChanok fruits very well as a small tree--- almost as precocious as Pickering.   (REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- Mahachanok is known to have an extended fruiting season.   It is possible to have fruits spanning from as early as mid June through mid August.(REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- Hi Clay, I'm really bad at describing mango flavors and taste...but here goes...its very sweet, no fiber till you get very close to the seed. The flavor is slightly stronger than my Glenn but not over powering. I prefer it over my Cogshall and I really like Cogshall...it has a little spicy overtones to it...not strong though. All I know is I really enjoy the taste and so does my husband. I too like the shape, very different than the mango varieties I have. These first (4) mangoes from this tree is small...I'm hoping the sizes will be larger next year since I planted it inground...depending on what type of winter we have. Thanks...Good luck to us all this winter that gets the occasional freeze...hope its not a bad one     

Hi Obet, for me at least when I say a little 'spicy' overtones I definitely do not mean resinous or turpentine...I do not like the flavor of Carrie ( and its due to this "off" herb, medicial flavor and I'm not a fan of it) so when I say it has a little spice what I mean is its not bland or just sugary sweet, it has some nice mild spice (think of a hint of say cinammon,lol)...it has a very nice flavor that I like (very pleasant tasting). I have come to the conclusion I do not like strong and overly spicy...herb, medicinal overtones in mango...just prefer the regular sweet, fiberless mango with a good overall nice flavor with that tropical flavors you get...anything very strong I'm not big fan of...(REF)

-- Maha Chanok - has the most complex and elegant flavor, more subtle than a Sweet Tart(REF)

-- the Maha Chanok...well the Angie has just had its death sentence I think! I let my husband have the first taste, and he made a hilarious face and proclaimed  "holy moly that's the sweetest mango I've ever tasted! Starts kind of coconutty and tart and then explodes with sweetness!" - I was most amused watching him. What did I think? One of the best mangos I've ever had! Very complex flavor, incredible sweetness near the skin, a good balance of sweet and subacid, flesh was firm and smooth with no fiber or mushiness - just outstanding! Not sure I taste cola syrup exactly, but do understand the comparison. There was absolutely no resinous or bitter flavor.  I thought the cut skin had a slightly piney scent, but there was no pine in the flavor. There is a distinctive scent to the fruit overall not unpleasant, fruity with a hint of earthiness, hard to pin down, and mostly stood out to me as smelling different than it tasted. Here's a pic of the fruit(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Julie

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Ohh :-) The other tree is actually a Julie. I updated my post to make it clearer. What's interesting is the drastic difference between the two trees of the same cultivar. And, they are located just 2 miles apart.

Julie is one of the few finicky mango trees that I've experienced. So, even if your well water is alkaline, if you're not growing the Julie, it probably won't matter.(REF)

-- I'll have to recommend Julie. To me it fits all the qualities from a mango you're looking for. It may not be a top tier like Sweet Tart but on a normal day it's pretty darn good and yummy. No need to tip it for it to develop a "busy" shape and since you're in AZ, the drier conditions should discourage disease. My 9 yr old Julie tree is barely 8 ft tall without any height pruning. (REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- The julie mango is an interesting mango in that it can either be a

Phenomenal mango with high precocity, high productivity, and multiple blooms leading to a long season

  -- OR --

A finicky, unfruitful, disease-prone tree that is difficult to maintain and keep healthy

In talking with Gary Zill about my observations on the Julie, he indicated that the success or failure of growing the Julie depends largely on the soil in which it's grown. When grown in alkaline soil or when irrigated with calcium rich well water, the Julie can be a pain in the neck to grow. But when grown in neutral soil, the Julie is very productive and relatively care-free.(REF)

-- Julie tastes great but is not the most productive cultivar, at least in south florida.  (REF)


-- My 9 yr old Julie tree is barely 8 ft tall without any height pruning. 100-150 mangoes per season for the past 4 years.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- mid (REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- Yep, that denser flesh is what I would call 'creamy'. There is an offspring of the Julie called a Gary which has even denser/creamier flesh. The Gary was used as the natural pollinator for many of the new Zill mango releases. Personally I much prefer a creamy mango over one that's 'watery'. That's why I'm going so berzerk over all the new Zill releases!(REF)

-- It has a complex, fruity-resinous flavor profile that I'd place in the Caribbean (e.g., Julie/Graham/Bombay) corner of the tasting table.(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Imam Passand

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- I have a couple Imam Passand trees growing, and they are slow/low vigor trees for sure.(REF)

-- trailing growth habit and is easily controlled of 8 to 10 ft disease resistant (REF)

-- I have a young growing tree inground and currently flowering. Mines a slow grower and internodal distances seem optimum for compact and bushy growing/ training. Pannicles seems resistance to PM and Anthrac in my yard as well thus far.(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Iman Passand I'm still evaluating but seems to do reasonably well in Florida and tastes pretty good.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

?

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- ‘Imam Pasand’ is one of the best mangos of India, ideally suited for dessert, the table and show. The fruit weigh 16 oz or more and are a beautiful smooth oval at maturity. The skin is a dark green, with distinct white highlights over the entire surface. Upon ripening the fruit can attain a deep yellow blush the shoulders and mid-section. The tree has a trailing growth habit and is easily controlled by annual pruning. The properly pruned tree will have a full, spreading canopy of 8 to 10 ft in height and spread. During the fruiting season of June and July, ‘Imam Pasand’ hangs heavy with consistent production. The fruit should be harvested mature green and ripened off the tree at a temperature of 75° to 85° F. Harvesting should occur 2 to 4 weeks before ripening on the tree for the development of the best quality. Properly harvested and ripened fruit have a fiberless, silky flesh with a deep, sweet flavor and distinct citrus overtones. The tree and fruit are tolerant of diseases and require little in the way of special care.(REF)

-- This is the Imam Pasand, a mango that sounds like it should come from the Nawabi culture of the North, but in fact is from the deep South. Unlike other recently available varieties it wasn't developed at a research centre, but unlike most of the older varieties , its origin is not entirely obscure either. It comes from Tiruchirapalli (Trichy) where it is said to have been developed by the family that owns the Thathachariar gardens, a once sprawling estate at Srirangam, the island on the Cauvery, where the city's famous Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is located.

How a mango with such a Muslim-sounding name came from such a Hindu identified place is a mystery. Some have argued that it more likely was developed in the erstwhile Nizam's kingdom, perhaps in Masulipatam in Andhra Pradesh, from where it was taken to Tiruchirapalli. Another argument points to Tiruchirapalli's own years of Muslim rule, after the Deccan sultans seized it from the Vijayanagar empire in 1565.

But further confusing matters is its alternate names of Himayuddin or Humayun Pasand, which suggest a Mughal origin. Whatever its origins, there's no doubting the Imam Pasand's quality. It is a large, not too attractive looking mango, mottled green that lightens to blotched yellow-green as it ripens.

It has a hard stone which you can hear rattle inside . The flesh is a light yellow that looks unripe, and in fact, when you first bite in, there's a sourness that makes you think you've made a mistake. But the flesh is ripely smooth, with little stringiness, and then you realise the sourness is really a citrusy tang that adds a zest to the sweetness that spills over your palate.

A friend's father who grew up near Tiruchirapalli tells me that he's heard the Imam Pasand was a cross between a Banganapalli and a Mulgoa. I don't know if this is scientifically accurate, but in taste terms it makes sense. It has the heft of a Banganapalli, the biggest mango of any quality, and its light yellow flesh, but where that tends towards sweet insipidity, with a chalky undertaste, a Mulgoa-like acid bite rescues it, adding lively interest.(REF)

Cultivar Information for the master list of compact mango trees

Cultivar Name: Honey Kiss

Tree Size, Growth Rate, Vigorousness

-- Honey Kiss shohld be available in a year or so.  Very slow grower. (REF)

-- This Honey Kiss mango is a tree in Walter Zill's grove. It is a dwarf, late season tree....Walter said it has very good lateral branching and makes a nice canopy.  (REF)

-- Definitely not a big tree.  A very compact grower.  I would not say its a dwarf either, maybe along the lines of Carrie in compactness and possibly a tad smaller than Carrie size-wise.(REF)

Productivity and Precociousness

-- Honey Kiss is precocious and fruits very well as a small tree.(REF)

-- They (Honey Kiss) are all fairly precocious, not so much as Pickering but pretty darn close to it.(REF)

--  It will fruit in clusters much of the time and is a heavy, reliable, bearer. (REF)

-- As Mike said, it bears heavy and in clusters, weighing the branches down to where they weep with the weight of the mangoes.  It doesn't however seem to have the breakage issue that I have seen with Duncan when it is overloaded with fruit.(REF)

Ripening Time (Location dependent)

-- This Honey Kiss mango is a tree in Walter Zill's grove. It is a dwarf, late season tree. (REF)

Flavor / Color / Tasting Notes

-- Just got back from Walter Zill's in Boynton and I ate a ripe Honey Kiss drop with my lunch. It was smaller than a fist and what I consider the ideal size for one person. This mango is juicy, it has nice melts-in-your-mouth flesh texture with no fiber I recall. It tastes sweet and mellow, like a honeydew melon and beneath the skin has just a hint of the Lemon Zest / Orange Sherbet flavors.  Very smooth taste  - I did not encounter one funky, tart, resiny, stringy, spicy, or bitter aspect in it. I would rate it as "excellent" and put it in the mild & sweet corner of the tasting table. (REF)

-- This mango I have no information on and eventually I'll call over to get some more info on it. This mango was a yellowing green with a small amount of light red blush at the top and felt soft and ready to eat. It was 3.5in long and weighed 238g. When I cut the top off it revealed a pale orange flesh with very little juice adhering to the flesh. The flesh was firm and fiberless with a few long strings noticeable on flesh direct on the peel. There was not a large amount of flesh to eat as this was a smaller sized mango with a big (what seems to be) polyembrionic seed. The taste was mildly sweet and slightly tangy with a peachy nuance and no resinous taste. (REF)

-- The ones I tired early last year were a little washed out but the late seasons were excellent.(REF)

-- Again, it can be picked mature green but will ripen much better and with peak flavor is left on the tree until it begins to or heavily obtains its yellow/golden base color.  When its allowed to color up on the tree, the texture and flavor will be amazing and a distinct honey taste is present. (REF)

-- Honey Kiss is a Keitt seedling (if it was from one of my posts and it says Kent, that was a typo).  It does not taste like Keitt (or kent for the matter ).  It is a very sweet mango, brightly colored, late season and has a distinct honey aroma and taste.  It is not like Nam Doc Mai in any way which many say has a honey flavor.  The Honey Kiss is more complex, more intense flavor and the hone component is distinct as opposed to just being "as sweet as honey" like the NDM.(REF)