Growth Habit: Mango trees are erect and fast growing and have a broad or rounded canopy, with a relatively slender crown. They may grow up to 40 m high but cultivated trees are usually kept within 10 m high. The trees are known to live longer than 300 years old while still producing fruit. Their taproots may descend to depth of 60 cm in deep soil.

Foliage: Leaves are dark green on the upper surface and pale brown on the underside. They are usually stiff, with conspicuous midribs. Full-grown leaves may be 12-30 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. Young leaves are red and soft. The leaves grow in flushes, with each flush hardening to a rich green before the next flush begins.

Flowers: The yellowish or reddish flowers are borne in inflorescences which appear at branch terminals. Each dense panicle may consist of up to 2000 minute flowers. The panicles may be narrowly or broadly conical and measure up to 45 cm long. The flowers may be 1-70% bisexual with the rest being male.

Mango flowers are mainly pollinated by insects – flies, hoverflies, but rarely bees. Mangoes are monoecious and self-fertile and may produce fruit without cross pollination.

Fruit: The fruit hangs from long peduncles on the outside of the canopy. The fruit is a large drupe, ranging in size from 5-22 cm in length. They may be kidney-shaped, ovate or (rarely) round. They have a yellow or green skin, with many cultivars having a red or orange blush. The leathery skin is waxy and smooth. The skin is inedible and may contain sap that may be an irritant to some people. The flesh may be yellow or orange in colour. The flesh is juicy and may range in taste from sweet to sour. Higher quality fruits do not have many fibres. The large, kidney-shaped central stone contains one or more large, starchy embryos.

Mango trees are usually propagated from bud-grafting, cleft-grafting or approach grafting to ensure they produce true-to-type fruits and for early bearing. Grafted mango trees begin fruiting in 3-5 years, those grown from seeds in 6-10 years. Mango trees can remain productive for 40 years or more. There is usually one flowering and fruiting season a year, though some growers use flowering inducers like potassium nitrate to induce flowering in off-seasons. Fruits mature about 3-5 months after flowering. Certain varieties may also exhibit alternate bearing – producing large crops only in alternate years.

Mangoes can be grown on a wide range of soil types, from light sandy loams to red clay soils. Soil pH of 5.5 to 7.5 is preferred. Deep rich soils give the best production and fruit quality. Moderately sloping sites are also recommended to prevent water-logging. Deep soils without impermeable layers permit the development of deep taproots that aids in drought tolerance and wind resistance.

Well drained soils are recommended. Mangoes will grow from sea level to an elevation of about 450 m but mangos are most productive below 365 m. Mango is best adapted to hot, dry leeward areas that receive less than 150 cm of rainfall annually, but supplemental irrigation is desirable for highest yields in those areas. Anthracnose disease often destroys both flowers and developing fruits in humid, high-rainfall areas.

The mango is best suited to areas with a distinct and pronounced dry period (between 2-4 months) during the year and temperature around 24 - 30°C. Dry weather during the flowering period is best for fruit production. Wind can damage flowers and reduce yields. Mango trees should be protected from strong winds, but windbreaks that shade or compete with them should be avoided.

The genus Mangifera is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, though M. indica was probably naturalised in India, where it has been cultivated for over a thousand years. From India, it spread to Southeast Asia and then to the New World and Africa.