Tommy Atkins Mango
Mangifera indica 'Tommy Atkins'
Height: 30 feet
Spread: 15 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 9b
Description:
A selection known for its long shelf life, presenting deep green, glossy lanceolate leaves and panicles of white and pink, fragrant flowers; golden fruit with deep red blushes are great for a variety of applications, from savory to sweet
Edible Qualities
Tommy Atkins Mango is a medium-sized tree that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces yellow oval fruit (technically 'drupes') with a scarlet blush and orange flesh which are usually ready for picking in early summer. The fruits have a sweet taste with a juicy texture and a sweet fragrance.
The fruit are most often used in the following ways:
Features & Attributes
Tommy Atkins Mango has attractive dark green foliage with light green veins which emerges coppery-bronze in spring on a tree with a round habit of growth. The glossy pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter.
This is an evergreen tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and may require the occasional pruning to look its best. It is a good choice for attracting birds and bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Aside from its primary use as an edible, Tommy Atkins Mango is sutiable for the following landscape applications;
Planting & Growing
Tommy Atkins Mango will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a high canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.
This plant is typically grown in a designated edibles garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Tommy Atkins Mango is a good choice for the edible garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.