Late Season / Indian-Alphonso Flavor / Origin: Florida

‘Lil Gem’ comes from the Zill mango breeding program, and was a seedling of Julie.  Compared to Julie it has been improved in several areas, particularly its outstanding disease resistance and solid production of late-season fruit.  The fruit is small to medium sized, and turns yellowish orange when mature.  It has no fiber but is very firm, and has a pleasant flavor which is sweet but mild, with light citrus notes and a bit of Julie-esque coconut aroma at peak ripeness.  The fruit are not susceptible to any fungal diseases and are always clean.  Lil Gem begins to ripen in late July, through most of August.  The tree grows with low vigor and is easy to control, but does grow slightly more upright than Julie.  A heavy and reliable producer, Lil Gem is a great choice for a late season mango.

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Latin name - Mangifera indica

The undisputed King of Fruits!  Mangos are widely celebrated around the world, and for us, Mango season is truly the most wonderful time of year.  Originating in Northeast India, Mango trees have been in cultivation for thousands of years, spreading to every part of the world where the climate is suitable to grow them.   Through many generations of cultivation and careful selection, a huge diversity of Mango varieties has been developed, leading to possibly the widest spectrum of flavors of any fruit in existence.  

We grow over 60 Mango varieties and counting– see below for our full list of cultivars.  Some have a mild and sweet flavor, reminiscent of peaches.  Others have more citrusy or floral notes.  Some Mangos have strong, intense flavors often described as “resinous”, and still others are highly aromatic with notes of clove or cardamom.  A Mango cultivar may be named for the grower who originally developed it, for the visual appearance of the fruit, or simply to describe the flavor.  Ever tasted an ‘Orange Sherbet’ or ‘Coconut Cream’ Mango?  We think you should!

In addition to the depth of flavor and aroma, each Mango cultivar has its own set of characteristics, including growth rate, canopy shape, fruiting season, productivity, and the appearance and size of the fruit.  All Mango trees thrive in full, unobstructed sunlight, and require ample space to grow.  At maturity, they can reach heights of 30-50 feet, but through strategic pruning and variety selection, it’s possible to maintain a Mango tree at 12-15 feet or even smaller with some effort.  Mangos thrive in South Florida’s sandy soil, and can tolerate dry periods like a champ.  Occasionally it may be necessary to supplement trace minerals like Zinc or Calcium to improve fruit set and quality, but for the most part, Mango trees require very little care. 

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Size: Can grow 30+ ft tall, but possible to manage at 12-15 ft with pruning.

Sun Requirements:  Full sun 

Cold Hardy: 32 degrees

Harvest Season:  Spring/Summer

Watering requirements: Tolerates drought well, will benefit from additional watering.