A tale of two mangoes: of the Po Pyu Kalay variety + Excalibur Nursery review`

[zands]

Po Pyu Kalay price for both mangoes is identical $35 at my local Coral Springs Florida Home Depot (selling mangoes from Pine Island nursery of Florida) and Excalibur Nursery in Lake Worth Florida (Wikipedia: Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain)

 Finally got to the famous Excalibur nursery a few days ago and bought a Po Pyu Kalay mango. Excalibur is 50 miles away from me. Here are some comparison photos of a Home Depot Po Pyu Kalay that comes from Pine Island nursery and the Excalibur Po Pyu Kalay which they graft their own. They used to buy from Zill but now graft their own
 
 Excalibur is a trip. Robert was the guy who zipped me around in a golf cart to three different locations where they had Po Pyu Kalay of varying sizes. Robert is very bilingual (English Spanish if that helps anyone) When it came time to pay...Business was transacted under a tent in front of a house. Cash and check only no credit cards. They had a few sapodilla fruits which Robert said "Go ahead and take them for free" as part of the Po Pyu Kalay purchase.
 
 Excalibur is very spread out on two sides of a street. They have the hugest mangoes I have ever seen in a pot. Huge pots 6 feet across. Robert said they bring a little "Cat" to the buyers site to excavate for such trees.
 
 They had a bunch of new variety mangoes labeled "Cat" on the pot. Robert said this was code for the new Cocker mango??...if I got him right. Those were nice looking 3 gallon trees so rush up there and get one if you want one. They looked vigorous with thick trunks. Squam256 has commented that they are the new "Cat Chu" mango.  Very fine specimens that I happened to see only because they were next to the best bunch of Po Pyu Kalay from which I picked mine
 

  (The well known Pine Island tag)


  (Comparison of trunk thickness. I am holding the Pine Island trunk))



  (Pine Island graft)


   (Excalibur graft)

  (mangoes side by side)





  (Excalibur on the left)

[mangomandan]

Did he tell you anything about that new mango?  We are hungry for info.

[Squam256]

I got one called 'Cat Chu' today. Could be that.

Honestly, I don't even know what most of the stuff I got from them even is.

For example, I picked up a mango today labelled both 'Obson' and also 'Hobson' on the tag. Richard called it a 'Hobson'. I am presuming (hoping) this is actually a mis-labelling of 'Hodson', which is supposed to be a good mango.

[Tropicalgrower89]

Nice mango trees! 

[Pancrazio]

I'm so envious! Nice report!

[zands]

Did he tell you anything about that new mango?  We are hungry for info.

He didn't tell..... I should have asked. You can give Excalibur a call and ask them what it is. looks like it's the new Cat Chu mango.

[MangoFang]

ROBUST is what I'd call the Excalibur mango (in comparing it with the PI one)

Nice purchase, Zands ...... so when will this NEW MANGO CREATION frenzy
finally slow down or come to an end?

well...I think I know the answer to that....

Fang

[mangomandan]

. I am presuming (hoping) this is actually a mis-labelling of 'Hodson', which is supposed to be a good mango.

I remember enjoying a Hodson many years ago at one of the Broward July mango meets.  I don't recall the details, just that it went on my list of nice mangos.

[Tim]

Cat Chu is Vietnamese. I also believe Xoai Cat Chu has been around for quite sometime in Vietnam so it's not a new creation and definitely not at the hands of Excalibur.

[HMHausman]

. I am presuming (hoping) this is actually a mis-labelling of 'Hodson', which is supposed to be a good mango.

I remember enjoying a Hodson many years ago at one of the Broward July mango meets.  I don't recall the details, just that it went on my list of nice mangos.

I have had Hodson.  I wasn't overly impressed with it.  I think Fairchild evaluates it as Good on the Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor scale. It had a small amount of fiber, not objectionable. Decent flavor and a fairly strong aroma as I remember. I forget where I tasted it, and I might want to give it another try if there are few of you that thought it was "all that."  Let me know if anyone finds a source.  Thanks in advance.

Harry

[HMHausman]

Cat Chu is Vietnamese. I also believe Xoai Cat Chu has been around for quite sometime in Vietnam so it's not a new creation and definitely not at the hands of Excalibur.

Do say, Tim.  Tell us about it please.

Harry

[zands]

Cat Chu is Vietnamese. I also believe Xoai Cat Chu has been around for quite sometime in Vietnam so it's not a new creation and definitely not at the hands of Excalibur.

So informative! Thanks for the Vietnamese-American    inside track on this mango. Here are google search results for it that are easily translatable.

[bsbullie]

Po Pyu Kalay price for both mangoes is identical $35 at my local Coral Springs Florida Home Depot (selling mangoes from Pine Island nursery of Florida) and Excalibur Nursery in Lake Worth Florida (Wikipedia: Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain)

 Finally got to the famous Excalibur nursery a few days ago and bought a Po Pyu Kalay mango. Excalibur is 50 miles away from me. Here are some comparison photos of a Home Depot Po Pyu Kalay that comes from Pine Island nursery and the Excalibur Po Pyu Kalay which they graft their own. They used to buy from Zill but now graft their own
 
 Excalibur is a trip. Robert was the guy who zipped me around in a golf cart to three different locations where they had Po Pyu Kalay of varying sizes. Robert is very bilingual (English Spanish if that helps anyone) When it came time to pay...Business was transacted under a tent in front of a house. Cash and check only no credit cards. They had a few sapodilla fruits which Robert said "Go ahead and take them for free" as part of the Po Pyu Kalay purchase.
 
 Excalibur is very spread out on two sides of a street. They have the hugest mangoes I have ever seen in a pot. Huge pots 6 feet across. Robert said they bring a little "Cat" to the buyers site to excavate for such trees.
 
They had a bunch of new variety mangoes labeled "Cat" on the pot. Robert said this was code for the new Cocker mango??...if I got him right. Those were nice looking 3 gallon trees so rush up there and get one if you want one. They looked vigorous with thick trunks. Squam256 has commented that they are the new "Cat Chu" mango.  Very fine specimens that I happened to see only because they were next to the best bunch of Po Pyu Kalay from which I picked mine
 

I believe you are referring to pots that has "Coc" written on them.  not a new variety as on Zills new creations but relatively new for sale by Excalibur.

[zands]

 
They had a bunch of new variety mangoes labeled "Cat" on the pot. Robert said this was code for the new Cocker mango??...if I got him right. Those were nice looking 3 gallon trees so rush up there and get one if you want one. They looked vigorous with thick trunks. Squam256 has commented that they are the new "Cat Chu" mango.  Very fine specimens that I happened to see only because they were next to the best bunch of Po Pyu Kalay from which I picked mine
 

I believe you are referring to pots that has "Coc" written on them.  not a new variety as on Zills new creations but relatively new for sale by Excalibur.

I know what happened. I saw the Cat Chu mangoes with CAT written on the pots. I asked Robert about them and he said something like "Cocker" for that mangoes name. Undoubtedly Robert at Excalibur momentarily mixed up the two mangoes. So Excalibur now has Cat Chu (Vietnamese mangoes with lots of internet photos) and Coc mangoes too which I heard as "Cocker". Coc mango had no internet information

To repeat--- I saw Cat Chu mangoes only and they looked very good...3 gallon size. I never saw the Coc mangoes.

[Tim]

Do say, Tim.  Tell us about it please.

Harry

Harry - I wish I have more info and knowledge to share. There are limited literatures online that reference Vietnamese cultivars. Unfortunaly, I only understand 10-15% of the Vietnamese I read. They mostly refer to cultivation practices and distributions. I'm sure other forum members can chime in on this with more understanding. Only had I had this much interest in mangoes back in the days, could've learned something.

Lets see if I can get my in-laws back there to do some research.

[zands]

Is the Po Pyu Kalay aka Lemon meringue mango early, late or Mid season? Anyone know when they come in ripe? Thanks!

[NedNickerson]

Anyone know if some of these new Vietnam mangoes have more flavor than the "Saigon" mangoes I remember?

[HMHausman]

Is the Po Pyu Kalay aka Lemon meringue mango early, late or Mid season? Anyone know when they come in ripe? Thanks!

At my house it tends to be mid-season.  Sometimes, it is late easrly season. Basically, June and July.

Harry

[zands]

Is the Po Pyu Kalay aka Lemon meringue mango early, late or Mid season? Anyone know when they come in ripe? Thanks!

At my house it tends to be mid-season.  Sometimes, it is late easrly season. Basically, June and July.

Harry

Thanks much. Today I finally planted the Po Pyu Kalay aka Lemon meringue mango you can see in the photos above. I planted the one from Excalibur and will be returning the other one to Home Depot in Coral Springs...where I see a lot of mangoes being bought. Being spring and all

If the PPK was early I would have planted them both

[dongeorgio]

I got one called 'Cat Chu' today. Could be that.

Honestly, I don't even know what most of the stuff I got from them even is.

For example, I picked up a mango today labelled both 'Obson' and also 'Hobson' on the tag. Richard called it a 'Hobson'. I am presuming (hoping) this is actually a mis-labelling of 'Hodson', which is supposed to be a good mango.

Squam,


   Did you ever determine if the Hobson sold at Excalibur was, in fact, a Hodson?

[ClayMango]

Ahh Zands...


The only thing we find at our Home Depot and Lowes here in SOCAL...Is a Haden or Kent... Their is a major Lag on popular choice Mangos out here. On the Bright side....these Big Box stores are getting better in my opinion... Their trees are typically cheaper and bigger, and store locations are generally much closer. I purchased 2 Avocado trees on the same day....one from a nursery in the valley area of De Luz(far), the other down the street from me from Home Depot...The Trees were about the same price....however Home Depots tree was much healthier, better graft, trunk size was thicker, decent structure.....while Hill's nursery  avocado....looked like crap (not speaking for all nurseries).... I hate to say it...But these Big Box stores are contracting out to top tier wholesale nurseries...and are receiving much better trees and plants.....I hate to leave the small guys out....but it is what it is.

[puglvr1]

Zands, since this thread is a year old...do you have any updates, pictures of your trees? Is it blooming? Thanks!!

[gunnar429]

So the 'coc' mango on their website is actually cocker, rather than Cac?  I figured they may have Cac since they have cat chu and cat hoa loc (all vietnamese i believe).  I asked Squam about these 3 a while back.  He said cat chu is the best of the 3 (Cac, cat hoa loc, and cat chu). 

FWIW, I thought the Cac mango was very good when i had it at the mango festival a few years ago. 

[zands]

Zands, since this thread is a year old...do you have any updates, pictures of your trees? Is it blooming? Thanks!!

About two months later I was at Excalibur again and got a Coc Vietnamese mango. I planted this instead of the PPK. If had more space I would have planted the PPK too but.... space limitations prevented this.  Lemon Zest is derived from PPK I belive.

The Coc is doing very well with many tiny fruits. About 6-7 ft high. Planted May 2012   (not 2011)

[zands]

So the 'coc' mango on their website is actually cocker, rather than Cac?  I figured they may have Cac since they have cat chu and cat hoa loc (all vietnamese i believe).  I asked Squam about these 3 a while back.  He said cat chu is the best of the 3 (Cac, cat hoa loc, and cat chu). 

FWIW, I thought the Cac mango was very good when i had it at the mango festival a few years ago.

bsbullie (rob) know for sure but I think Cac is same as Coc  (all are Vietnamese, yes)