Mango (Aam) Tree (Mangifera indica): Where It Grows in India and How to Plant It
Mangifera indica
Mango, aam (आम) in Hindi, is Mangifera indica, the evergreen fruit tree planted across India. How to plant a grafted mango tree and when, how to grow one from a seed (guthli), whether it can live in a pot, how to recognise it, care for the first three years and what to watch out for.
Toxicity
Cautions and safety
Mango is a widely eaten fruit tree, but a few cautions apply.
- Skin allergy from sap and peel. ICRAF notes that in sensitive people, contact with the juice or eating the fruit may cause a rash like that of poison ivy. A 2021 review in the journal Medicina says this is rare and usually caused by the peel. Wear gloves when pruning or handling fresh sap, and see a doctor if a rash or swelling appears.
- Leaves as fodder. ICRAF warns that large quantities of mango leaves fed to cattle can kill them.
- Pets. Toxicity to dogs and cats is not well documented. Keep pets from chewing leaves, bark or the stone, and ask a vet if they do.
- A big tree. Its wide crown and deep roots need space and deep soil (ICRAF), so plant it well away from walls, pipes and overhead wires; any distance you choose is only a rough starting point, not a safe distance, so ask your local horticulture office.
- Wet feet and frost. Avoid waterlogged soil, and protect young trees in cold northern winters.
- Little grows beneath it. ICRAF notes that the thick crown shades out grass.
- Humans
- Mildly toxic
Affected parts: sap, peel
- Pets and animals
- Not verified — check before exposing pets or children
Sources: Orwa C. et al. (2009). Agroforestree Database 4.0: Mangifera indica. ICRAF; Berghea E.C. et al. (2021). Contact Allergy Induced by Mango (Mangifera indica): A Relevant Topic? Medicina (Kaunas) 57(11): 1240
This article was prepared with AI assistance and checked by the GreenEye team against the sources shown in each section.
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