Siam Villa Garden: ต้นมะม่วงเขียวสามรส

English Name: Mango

Scientific Name: Mangifera indica

Family: Mangifera

Thai Name: มะม่วง

Native Region: Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Philippines, Malaysia

Mango trees grow to 30–40 m (98–131 ft) tall, with a crown radius of 10–15 m (33–49 ft). The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still fruit after 300 years.

In deep soil, the taproot descends to a depth of 6 m (20 ft), with profuse, wide-spreading feeder roots and anchor roots penetrating deeply into the soil. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, 15–35 cm (5.9–13.8 in) long, and 6–16 cm (2.4–6.3 in) broad; when the leaves are young they are orange-pink, rapidly changing to a dark, glossy red, then dark green as they mature. The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10–40 cm (3.9–15.7 in) long; each flower is small and white with five petals 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, with a mild, sweet fragrance. Over 500 varieties of mangoes are known, many of which ripen in summer, while some give a double crop. The fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripen.

The mango is now cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates. It is cultivated extensively in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, the tropical and subtropical Americas, and the Caribbean. Mangoes are also grown in Andalusia, Spain (mainly in Málaga province), as its coastal subtropical climate is one of the few places in mainland Europe that permits the growth of tropical plants and fruit trees. The Canary Islands are another notable Spanish producer of the fruit. Other minor cultivators include North America (in South Florida and the California Coachella Valley), Hawai'i, and Australia.

Many commercial cultivars are grafted on to the cold-hardy rootstock of Gomera-1 mango cultivar, originally from Cuba. Its root system is well adapted to a coastal Mediterranean climate. Many of the 1,000+ mango cultivars are easily cultivated using grafted saplings, ranging from the "turpentine mango" (named for its strong taste of turpentine) to the Bullock's Heart. Dwarf or semidwarf varieties serve as ornamental plants and can be grown in containers.

An important breakthrough in mango cultivation is the use of potassium nitrate and ethrel to induce flowering in mangoes. The discovery was made by Filipino horticulturist Ramon Barba in 1974, and was developed from the unique traditional method of inducing mango flowering using smoke in the Philippines. It allowed mango plantations to induce regular flowering and fruiting year-round. Previously, mangoes were seasonal, because they only flowered every 16 to 18 months. The method is now used in most mango-producing countries.

Medical Uses

Mangos can help stabilize your digestive system. They offer both amylase compounds and dietary fiber, which can help you avoid constipation. Amylase compounds can help dissolve other foods in your stomach, breaking down difficult starches. Meanwhile, the fiber in mangos can be more effective for relieving constipation than equivalent fiber supplements.

Mangos are rich in folate, which is used for healthy cell division and DNA duplication. Physicians recommend that people who can become pregnant consume at least 400 mcg of folate daily, because it is critical for avoiding birth defects.