Mango
A large tropical tree for the south and west of the Kingdom — dense evergreen shade.
- Scientific name: Mangifera indica
- Family: Cashew family
Mango is a big evergreen that holds dense shade all year and fruits in summer. It is also the most humidity- and warmth-hungry plant on this list, which puts its natural home in Jazan, Asir, Tihama and the western coastal strip rather than the interior.
At a glance
- Plant typeLarge tree
- WateringEvery 1–2 weeks
- LightFull sun
- Comfortable range20 – 38 °C
- Height10 – 20 m
- SpreadUp to 6 m
- FloweringSpring
- HarvestLate spring into autumn
Care guide
Watering
Steady moisture every one to two weeks. Mango is less drought-tolerant than anything else on this page and needs genuine consistency while the fruit is setting and sizing.
Light and heat
Full sun and sustained warmth. It has no cold tolerance — a single frost is enough to damage new growth.
Soil and feeding
Deep, free-draining garden soil. Use a high-phosphorus feed to encourage flowering and a balanced one the rest of the year, applied in early spring and midsummer with the dose scaled to the tree's age.
Pruning
Prune annually in early spring: clear dead branches, thin crowded areas and open the centre of the canopy to air. A closed canopy raises fungal infection rates sharply.
Propagation
Semi-hardwood cuttings with rooting hormone in a free-draining sandy mix. Grafted trees fruit sooner and give you the variety you asked for.
In Saudi conditions
Outside the south and west, mango needs a sheltered site and extra humidity to succeed. Before planting one in Riyadh or Al-Qassim, ask a farmer who knows the area — the tree may grow perfectly well and still never fruit reliably.
Common problems
- Malformed flower panicles and failure to set fruit
- Powdery mildew on the blossom in humid weather
- Scale insects and psyllids on the leaves
- Fruit rotting before ripeness where airflow is poor
Need a hand?
Assessing whether your site suits mango, and the annual prune, are available through our farmers in the southern and western regions.
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