Hi littleluey, congrats on your new mango tree! I don't grow this one but if I'm not mistaken, from what I've read Manila mangoes are (polyembryonic ) and grow true from seed and doesn't need to be grafted? I am no expert, but hopefully someone that grows one will be able to confirm this for you.

Sorry...I believe you have a seedling. If you look at their website and click on the "AVAIL" tag at the left, it takes you to a spreadsheet of available plants. Go to the bottom and click "page 2". The mangos are on the right. They have what looks like two selections under Mango...the Manila, and then a bunch listed under "Grafted Mangos", which include: nam doc mai, timotayo, thompson, tommy atkins, valencia pride, haden, keitt, glenn.

Personally, I would take this as meaning the manila is a seedling. Page 1 of the spreadsheet has a phone number for the nursery. You could certainly call the number and find out for sure. But if they tell you it is a grafted plant, I would then ask why it wasn't included with the varieties listed under grafted mangos. I would also point out that you have failed to discern a graft union on the plant.

The seedling is most likely a less expensive and less risky selection for someone like Lowes catering to impulse buyers. Me? I would return the plant. Tomorrow...I would road trip my way to Pine Island Nursery and pick out a true, grafted plant. I'm sure you can find some other goodies while there! If Excalibur is closer, by all means, go there instead. Just my 2 cents.

I saw that on their site as well. I do believe I will be taking it back. I am not in Florida but in Yuma Arizona so I will be looking for a nursery in my area.

It'll fruit, it just takes longer than a grafted tree. Seedlings are probably 3 years away from fruit whereas grafted you can get fruit the same year you buy it.

Always remember that not all seedling reproductions of a mono-embryonic mango is a clone of the parent tree. There is always the potential of a sexually reproduced seedling amongst the multiple plantlets that come up from the seed. Only the non-sexually produced seedlings will be clones of the parent. A grafted tree will also grow differently than a seedling. Grafted trees grow much wider as it grows taller and seedlings will grow more taller than wider.

Harry

"Only the non-sexually produced seedlings will be clones of the parent."

Is there a way for me to determine if I have a sexually or non-sexually produced seeding?

only by the fruit

Well yes, actually, there is a way.....but it would be very expensive to do the genetic testing to establish that. Mango Kush is right, the fruit is the final word on the subject. If you plant a seed from a poly-embryonic mango sometimes when the leave develop you can see one of the plantlets that has different leaves from the others. But usually there isn't a sufficient difference to make that judgment. And, without seeing the mother tree...you cannot make any judgment about the one tree you have to ID.

littleluey,Here in california there is plenty of neighbors that have manila mango and all the fruit I tasted is very sweet.I have one myself that i got last year and it has grown.Also,here in california mango tree seems to be dwarfed.Biggest Manila mango I see is about 15ft but average height was only 12-13ft.They do fruit well here in Cali.

Ajaysr5,
How is your mango crop coming along this year? I lost my lancetilla but it was my error. My cogshell is growing and julie looks great, all the tips are showing good growth now. I am strongly considering replacing the lancetilla with glenn, and adding a carrie also. I have one more that I am trying to buy next week but not sure yet. I know I want glenn and hearing all the reviews on Carrie makes it sound like a real winner. i know I am going to wait until spring so I can keep them outdoors. My green caimito is growing really well now. Can't wait for the fruit!
Andrew

Andrew78,All my mangoes are doing fine.The 2 carrie mango is blooming along with the ice cream mango.The nam doc mai is also showing buds but I do not know if it is flowers or new growth.I should know by this week because of the hot weather will be having for the next 10 days(Not that we get cold here,just higher temp than average).As for my purple caimito,I am very surprised how well it's doing showed new growth the whole winter without protection.Will post new pics of my tropical within the next couple of days.

Ajay sounds great! I am considering putting in an order with Frankies this Wednesday. Not sure exactly what it will be for but will post as soon as I order.
Andrew

Where do you guys get your mango trees from?
I will be going to San Diego by the end of the march and wouls like to get a couple of trees, I am thinking Julie and Kent or Kiett

I was plesently surprised to receive a response to my question from none else than the CEO of La Verne Nursery. Here is his response:

"Thanks for your inquiry. The Mango you purchased from Lowes is a seedling, a manilla seedling, fruit weighing approximately 7-12 ounces. This seedling will produce outstanding fruit. When you do get flowers, limit the number of fruit after pollination to 2-5 and be prepared to prop-up or support the fruit as they are forming and getting larger. Water deeply when watering and fertilize with a fruit tree type fertilizer once a month in the growing season (our label says longer between fertilizing) and your tree will perform. Need anything else, please let us know,

Richard Wilson  CEO

La Verne Nursery Inc."

I think it is great that they took the time to responde, let alone that their CEO would do it. I like good customer service, they did not have to answer my e-mail since I was not their direct customer, but at the end stuff like this will have me support a company that takes time to deal with the end customer.
I decided to keep the tree and will go out of my way to look for their products from now on.

in time i think you will be happy with the tree.

seedlings tend to form a nice symmetrical tree with good rooting systems. i dont think you guys have the same nematode problems we have here which makes rootstocks that much more important.

i have a suspicion that commercial Champagne mangos and Ataulfo are manilla seedlings

Littleguy

Last year I made a group order of about 36 trees from laverne and their customer service is really great.

LittleLuey:

The customer service is, indeed, impressive. Unfortunately, while the CEO is apparently well versed in customer service and I am sure is advising you based upon his understanding......a seedling can never be 100% guaranteed to produce as he describes. The percentage is probably pretty high that he will be right....but there is always the chance that a seedling is a sexual reproduction and not the clone of the parent tree. Now if the tree was grown from tissue culture...that would be different. The use of the word "seedling" means just what it says.....it comes from a seed. No variety that I know of produces 100% cloned seedlings. But, maybe this is the one that does. I would be interested to see how many of these they have sold and what the results have been to see if a follow up would confirm his desciption with 100% certainty. Best of luck with the tree. Remember, even if it is not the exact clone, there is the chance that it could be as good or better than the parent. If it is not a clone, it is more likely to be not as good as the parent.....but that is the gamble you take.

Harry

I just bought a Manila mango from Lowes. I bought it on discount because it was $10. The tree was 3.5ft tall and with a little leaf tip burn. My friend who works at Lowes, told me it was forgotten in the back stock and a little neglected.

Anyway, replanted it in a 25 gallon container. I am now hoping for some good growth the rest of this year.

LittleLuey, two years ago I bought such a tree from Lowe's. The growth has been the best out of all my mango trees here in San Diego, and has put its first bloom out. The verdict is still out as far as what the fruit will taste like but I'm very optimistic that it will produce sweet fruit. As Leverne nursery indicated this mango tree is a seedling and as Harry has indicated there is always a change the fruit will not be as good as the parent. Knowing that I would recommend you keep it and see how it develops. You might be presently surprised. If you are interested in buying a grafted mango tree while in San Diego try Ong's Nursery, or take a day to drive up to LA and visit Mimosa Nursery. Remember, you will probably pay 3 to 4 times for a grafted tree out here. Mango graft tree prices out here are quite different than what people pay for down in Florida.

I think the manila mango seedlings are a great price. Can always top work them if needed as well.

Here in orange county my manilas mangos do very well. I got 2 manila mangos from lowe 4 years ago as a seeling. It was from la verne as well. It was in the ground and about 7ft tall. It had fruited every year for the last 3 yrs. The fruit was big and very sweet, no fiber at all. Right now it is starting to have flowers on both trees. I'm post pic. When the fruit set. Also, my sapodilla has so much fruit right now. My star fruits are still hanging on the tree even though it's winter and there shouldn't be any tropical fruit at this late season. But...it's not so. I can say otherwise ;)

Are you sure it isn't air layered? I bought a really nice, large Carrie last summer that was air layered. No graft point... or tap root, apparently. Not sure how that will affect things long term.

Irun - no - we're pretty sure the manilas (of which I have 2) are from seedlings from LaVerne nursery here in SoCal......

mangodawg