The Carrie Mango cultivar comes from South Florida in the 1940s when it was grown as a seedling by gardener Laurence Zill, and named after his mother. Carrie Mangoes were first grown commercially in 1949 and they were quickly found to have both sweet creamy fruits and good disease and fungus resistance. The Carrie fruits are small, about one pound each, and have green skin that blushes yellow when ripe. Their orange flesh is juicy and smooth with a spiced, aromatic flavor that is a true culinary treasure of the tropics.
Carrie Mango Trees grow into a dense, rounded form and they have leaves that are slightly wider than other mango varieties, which makes for a handsome shade tree in the edible garden. In addition to the thick canopy of wide leaves, new foliage growth on the Carrie Mango Tree is deep purple-red. They can be grown in the ground in USDA Zones 9 to 11, or in containers within Zones 4 to 11. The compact size of up to 15-feet tall and 12-feet wide means you can plant one in almost any yard, and this variety can make fruit in as little as 3 years in the ground.
Carrie Mango Trees are self-fertile, so a single tree will grow and ripen fruit. Grow two or more Mangoes in your edible garden to have even higher fruit yields. Prune in-ground trees in late winter and fertilize as soon as the new growth appears. Carrie Mango Trees like frequent deep watering, and a slow drip irrigation system works wonders for these compact fast growers. Carrie Mango Trees can be fertilized with mango tree fertilizer every 3 to 4 months and you can add compost to the soil under the tree at any time.
Carrie Mango Trees are resitant to fungus, disease, and pests. This makes them highly sought after for use in edible landscapes, kitchen gardens, and tropical yards. Always remove pruned limbs from the immediate area under a Carrie Mango Tree, and be sure that mulch is never stacked against the tree trunk base. Trim branches so that the lowest limbs do not have leaves that touch the ground. Follwing these simple tips will help your Carrie Mango Tree stay disease and fungus free year after year.
Carrie Mango Harvesting and Uses
Carrie Mangoes ripen from June to July. The 1-pound, round fruits are green and have a slight yellow blush when ripe. The flesh is yellow-orange, smooth, fiberless, and very sweet. Carrie Mangoes also have a slight, aromatic spiced flavor that elevates their taste into that of the most excellent tasting varieties. Harvested Carrie Mangoes can be eaten fresh, used as a salad ingredient, or made into tropical cole slaw. Peel and freeze fruit for extended storage.
Fresh, sliced Carrie Mangoes can be served over rice and drizzled with ponzu sauce for a savory Asian side dish. Frozen Carrie Mango is good for making smoothies and juiced drinks. It can also be used for desserts such as mango cobbler and mango ice cream. You can even substitute thawed and smashed Carrie Mango for bananas in your favorite banana bread recipe to make amazing Mango Bread.
Advice
When growing Carrie Mango Trees in the ground, pick a spot that gets as much direct sun as possible. Six hours per day of direct sunlight is best. Choose a location with protection from heavy winds, but that is open enough for good airflow. Be sure to water newly planted trees deeply three times a week for the first two weeks. Water established Carrie Mango Trees about once a week, or when the ground is dry down to 2-inches deep at the tree base.
You can also grow a Carrie Mango Tree in a container. Choose a sturdy pot with holes for drainage and that gives the rootball at least 3 to 4 inches of growing room on all sides. Repot every spring until the Carrie Mango Tree is growing in a 17-gallon or larger pot. Prune potted Carrie Mangoes in early spring before new growth appears to maintain a blanced shape. Always harvest all fruit at the end of the fruiting season, and never allow fallen mangoes to remain in the pot, as this can encourage pests and fungus.
FAQs
How big will a Carrie Mango Tree get?
Carrie Mango Trees have a smaller, compact growing habit and they can reach mature sizes of about 15 feet tall. Potted trees will stay even smaller.
When do Carrie Mango Trees produce fruit?
Healthy Carrie Mango Trees begin to make fruit in about 3 years, and the fruit is ripe from June to July.
Are Carrie Mango Trees cold hardy?
Carrie Mango Trees are somewhat cold hardy for mango trees. They can survive down to 30 degrees, but much prefer warm winters. Grow Carrie Mangoes in pots and overwinter them indoors in areas where freezing is expected.
Can I buy Carrie Mangoes in the grocery store?
It is possible that you may find Carrie Mangoes in some Florida or California markets or stores, but the fruit is not widely grown and distributed commercially, because the ripe fruit is soft, and lacks the red colors of more colorful mangoes.
Morris Esmiol (verified owner) –
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Michael Greene (verified owner) –
Tree arrived healthy. Planted it and it is doing just fine. Great price. Now gotta wait a few years for it to mature and bear fruit.
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David H. (verified owner) –
This variety of mango “tastes like the beach”! And the tree does not grow super large, so it remains manageable.
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