Ready for Mangos?, Part IV
Following are descriptions of more of the many mango cultivars available at Richard Lyons’ Nursery:
Jakarta The ripening season for this cultivar is long, from June to August. Developed by the Zill family in Boynton Beach, Jakarta produces aromatic, fiberless, richly-flavored fruit on a robust-growing tree. While not widely-produced commercially, this cultivar has come to occupy a niche in home gardens. Ripe fruit averages just over 16 oz. in weight.
Julie This cultivar, wildly popular in Jamaica and the Virgin Islands, boasts an extraordinary taste and a dwarf growth habit. Those characteristics make Julie a popular mango in home gardens of southern Florida, but its preference for more arid climates keeps it from being grown commercially. The fruit, averaging 6-10 oz. at maturity, ripens from June through July, but the period is known to fluctuate.
Keitt Developed in Homestead, this cultivar was selected and named in 1945. It is low in fiber and high in flavor, productivity and disease resistance, and has become a major commercial crop in many countries. It grows vigorously, but with a spreading, open canopy. The mature fruit weighs 2 lbs. and up and ripens from August into October, making it a late-season gem.
Kent This Coconut Grove cultivar was also selected and named in 1945. The canopy of this upright-growing tree should be managed to keep the crop from developing out of reach. The reward will be an aromatic, almost fiberless, rich-tasting fruit that matures at 20-26 oz. Kent is a fairly late producer, with ripening occurring from July through August, and sometimes into September.
Lancetilla This relative newcomer, introduced in 2001 out of Honduras by Dr. Richard Campbell, has a lot going for it: Aromatic and intensely sweet taste, fiberless texture, colorful skin, excellent disease resistance, and dwarf growth habit. In fact, this cultivar can be maintained easily at only 10 ft.! The fruit is sizable, 2-5 lbs., and matures from mid-August through September.
Lemon Meringue (a/k/a Po Pyu Kalay or Pu Pyi Klai) This Burmese cultivar derives its commercial name from its lemony aroma. Highly disease-resistant, it possesses a spicy, complex, tart-sweet taste. The midsize tree is a vigorous grower. Its fiberless, elongated fruit weighs 8-12 oz. and ripens in June and July.
Madame Francis Haiti is the home of this dessert mango, whose flesh has a spicy-sweet taste, with moderate fibers. The tree has a vigorous, open growth habit, maturing in the medium to large range, so should be pruned periodically following harvest. The kidney-shaped fruit weighs in at 16-24 oz. and ripens in June and July, though some commentators have noted that it can produce multiple crops.