Mango care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Mango (Mangifera indica) wants full sun and a drink about every 5 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11.
| scientific name | Mangifera indica |
|---|---|
| family | Anacardiaceae |
| category | fruit |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 5 |
| mature height cm | 1000 |
| min zone | 10 |
| max zone | 11 |
| frost tolerant | false |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Mango?
Tropical; dry spell before bloom sets fruit.
Is Mango toxic?
We do not have a verified toxicity record for this species, so we will not say either way. Treat it as unknown around pets and children until a vet or a poison-control source says otherwise.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: medium. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no. USDA records its toxicity as slight.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 60 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 100 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.0. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. Its tolerance of waterlogging is medium. It needs at least 365 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to 17°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is moderate. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in year round. It spreads by seed at a moderate rate. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is high. At maturity it reaches about 65.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 65 feet. Its roots go down at least 60 inches. Its shape is rounded. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in late winter. The flowers are yellow. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is orange. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by summer. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: no. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · 2026-09-02