I purchased a Lancetilla mango from Pine Island nursery about six weeks ago, great folks. the tree was planted into a big pot, and has already started flushing new growth.

I chose the Lancetilla because its a late season, and can be kept very small. also it is a variety that is good for humid areas. for California do not think you will have that problem.

Another good variety, is the Nam Doc Mai. I was split between these two, and asked the folks at the nursery which was best for container growth, they said the Lancetilla was easier to keep small, compared to the Nam Doc.

Check their very informative website.

This comment might be a bit late, but in my experience, Lancetilla is considerably more vigorous than Nam Doc Mai. I really don't know how one could expect to keep Lancetilla small when the fruit is so large. Here's a shot of mine.....the chain link fence is 5 feet tall for perspective. This the view from my neighbor's yard.

This is the view from my yard. There are three trees in the photo. The two in front are Nam Doc Mai (left) and Sia Tong (right). Lancetilla is just behind and is at least 20% bigger than the two in the foreground.

The Lancetilla fruits can go 5 pounds each. Imagine a tree in a pot with 5 pound fruits. I can't imagine it. Pine Island also says the fruits are "Blood Red." I have never experienced this coloration. I assume they are talking about the exterior because the flesh is quite yellow. At my house they do not color up signifcantly. But, I do have a problem with full coloration of my mangoes as my trees are so close together.

If dwarf is what you want, there is Ice Cream, Julie, and Pickering. The next tier up would include Rosigold, Carrie, and Fairchild. Beyond that, most of the SE Asian varieties are medium in vigor.

Harry

Pine Island nursery sells a few varieties mail order. might i recommend (in order)

Pickering
Fairchild
Mallika
Rosigold
Cogshall
Lancetilla

Thanks for the replies - I will check those out. Any ideas how big the dwarfs are likely to get - I just want to make sure I have enough space.

Regarding the red mangos - I rarely ever eat mangos or even look for them. However, when I have tried them on occasion (ones I've found in the supermarket) I think they did not have much coloration and tasted somewhat sour.

I was born and spent my childhood in the tropics (Sri Lanka) and although it was a long time ago I recall the mangos there when ripe were a blood red color - definitely on the outside and I think also on the inside. Also they used to be very sweet as I recall. No idea what the type was.

WOW, alot of ultra-tropical fruit trees grow in Ceylon. do you remember any other fruit like mangosteen?

did you live on the wetside or the dryside?

Oh yeah I do recall mangosteens. I generally liked sour fruit so I quite enjoyed eating raw mangos (with some chili and a dash of salt) as well as raw woodapple and amberellas.

I was born in the north (which coincidentally is reputed for growing the best mangos in SL) but also lived on the west coast (puttalam which is a town on the west coast - if you look at a map of SL you will see a "lip" on the west - this town is on the lagoon of the lip). Also lived in the capital colombo where I recall having a jak fruit tree in the yard.

i had to google woodapple

looks kind of like Santol, but its not even in the same family

do you remember any Jackfruit relatives like Pedalai (Buah) or Marang (Tarap)

I would definitely go with pickering. I have a small tree and am getting a huge fruit set. I probably have about 100 mangoes developing on it right now. I will have to thin the fruit once they get a little bigger, but I'd rather have the problem of too much fruit that too little. I am really impressed with this tree so far.

From other research I have done on Lancetilla, confirms that they can "easily" be maintained at 10ft in containers. maybe its because of their vigorous growth is why they can be pruned often.

I also plan on getting a Nam Doc Mai, also. My Alphonso bare root, didn't survive the plane trip. but luckily I was able to find a source for that variety here in the Dominican Republic.

Regarding Mangosteen, I have tried 3 times to start seeds from the mangosteen, that I ordered from Malaysia, none of them grew. they were sent in moist peat and all, but I wonder if they were Irradiated in shipping? or just took to long to get here. ( quickest shipment took 2 1/2 weeks )I know how they loose viability real fast. anyway I guess I'll have to buy a plant and try and bring it over from the States, without killing it.

Interesting fruit that Woodapple, at first I thought it was a Borojoa.

tropicdude, i would actually assume the exact opposite. that Lancetilla is not vigorous growing and can be maintained at a small stature but over time if let go may grow larger like Harrys.

a vigorous tree like Kent would be harder to develop a canopy at a low height. judging from Harrys pics his graham probably could be topped and still look like a symmetrical semi dwarf where a vigorous trees canopy wouldnt begin until 10 feet.

thats why i think Pine Island can get away with marketing as a condo mango.

Cogshall is another good choice as far as "condo" size. You can tell by this picture that the trunk is very short. It gets a nice round canopy w/ very little to no pruning...grows this shape naturally. Although I've never tasted the fruit, I hope what I've read that's its good is correct.

I also agree with Jsvand about Pickering. I'm very happy with my potted tree, I've only had it since Feb. and its loaded with fruits. Even though I'd be lucky to get one to mature, I'm excited at the fact that's its fruited already in the two months I've had it. I would recommend this variety also.

Thanks for the inputs everyone. With regard to the ones mentioned - mainly the Pickering and Cogshall - also Ice Cream and Julie - what sizes do they grow to roughly (height and span). I guess I cannot really figure that out from the pictures posted.

mango_kush - the woodapple is a hard shell fruit and the inside is kind of a pulp as shown in the picture you posted. Even when ripe it can be sour and rather than eat it raw people over there sometimes make a kind of concoction out of it by pureeing the flesh and making a kind of liquid (I cannot recall all the ingredients  I think it includes milk). So it is then consumed in a semi-solid state.

I also recalled eating woodapple jam and recently ordered it online about a month ago. It is currently sitting in my refrigerator and eating it for the first time in about 25 years. It does taste like what I remember but like most jams it is much sweeter than the original fruit.

I donÂt recall eating those other fruits you posted but I do recall eating some stuff that I no longer know the names for.

Another thing I do recall eating is the insides of the fruit produced by the palmyrah tree. Three circles when you cut the top off and you scoop the insides out with s spoon. They make all sorts of stuff out of the palmyrah tree including some crunchy sticks and also flour thatÂs used to make some foods. Never seen any of that in the US though.

blue_can, I have found the canned version of the palmyra fruit kernel (?) in all the Indian, Thai and Vietnamese grocery stores around my city. It is the Thai "Chakoh" brand - same as the tinned coconut milk company. It tastes decent, but not like the real thing.

never heard of Palmyra but i googled it and it seems to be exactly like our fan palms. i never witnessed them fruit, anyone know if these are the same as sugar palms?

i also searched around for some popular Sri Lankan fruits with our names for them that might spark your memory

Passionfruit
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Rambutan

Cashew Apple
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Durian
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red variety from Borneo

Ceylon Peach

Jambu

Even in Sri Lanka if my memory serves me correctly some fruits tend to be regional and they are not common elsewhere. The palmyrah I believe only grows in the north and I think outside of there you cannot find the stuff made out of them like the crunchy sticks I mentioned.

I recognize and have eaten most of the fruits show apart from the star like fruit and also the Ceylon peach.

While living in the town of Puttalam I recall eating a fruit known as something like "Jam Fruit" by the people there. Looked like a berry but with a mushy interior and tiny seeds. I don't really know what the correct name for it is but I don't think I've seen it anywhere since. Also another fruit also in the same town - I still remember what is is called in the local language but no idea what the English name would be - huge tree and the fruits are small. Yellow flesh surrounding the seeds and very sour.

Blackberry Jam fruit; Rhandia Formosa
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"huge tree and the fruits are small. Yellow flesh surrounding the seeds and very sour" hmm, could be alot of species i am either familiar with or not.

Contact CRFG.ORG. (California Rare Fruit Growers Association) You cannot legally purchase plant material from Florida if you live in California without certification. If their plants are not 36" off the ground at all times in sterile medium at Pine Island Nursery in Miami, they cannot ship to you. In addition, a #35 - $55 Phytosanitary Certificate fee will be tacked on to your purchase and in some cases you will need permission from the California Department of Agriculture and an import permit from them for import from Florida.

Thanks for that info. Yes I kind of got the impression that shipping and all this certificate stuff is far more expensive than the plant itself. Someone in the CA forum suggested a couple of local nurseries in San Diego that sells tropical fruit trees (Ong Nursery and another one) but I'm not sure if they sell any dwarf ones. I sent the guy an email but did not hear anything back yet.

I want to rectify the false notion that a mango has a sour or tarte taste. When someone states that, it is because he (or she) has never tried a Florida mango; they are sweet, juicy and best of all fiberless.
Check: mangosinparadise.com
they ship and you will change your opinion about not liking mangoes.