Edward (mango)
Encyclopedia
The 'Edward' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.
. Due to the problems encountered with Indian-descended mango cultivars in Florida relating to their poor disease resistance and unreliable bearing habits, Simmonds began a mango breeding program in the 1920s where he sought to cross several cultivars of Indian descent with cultivars of southeast Asian origin. Simmonds hope was to develop hybrid varieties that would take on the best characteristics of both parents, with color and flavor of the Indian line and the flavor and disease resistance of the southeast Asian mangoes.
One of the results of the project was reportedly a 'Haden
' by 'Carabao' (or Philippine-type mango) cross, grown on Simmonds private residence in Miami. The resulting fruit, later named 'Edward' after Edward Simmonds, was found to have outstanding eating qualities and was named and described by David Sturrock in the late 1930s It was published in 1944, and commercial propagation began about 1948.
While generally agreed to have outstanding flavor and above average disease resistance, 'Edward' proved to be a poor producer in Florida despite consistent crops. The color of the fruit was not as outstanding as its parent 'Haden' either. This limited 'Edward' as a commercially grown mango for production purposes, though the variety remained popular as a dooryard tree for home growing.
'Edward' may have been one of the first hybrid crosses of Indian and Indochinese mangoes, though pedigree analysis conducted on the Florida mango cultivars has disputed the 'Carabao' parentage of 'Edward' while estimating that 'Haden' was indeed at least one of the parents. Several Florida mangoes are seedlings of 'Edward', including 'Duncan
' and 'Young
'. Like 'Edward', both were the result of a hybridization program themselves.
Today 'Edward' is still propagated by major nurseries in Florida for home growing. 'Edward' trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami, the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida
, and the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park
, also in Homestead.
The 'Edward' mango is oval/oblong shaped with an undulating surface, typically weighing between 16 to 22 oz. The skin possess little wax and is bright yellow in color with a pink to reddish tint with small white speckles. The flesh of the fruit is tender, fiberless, juicy, and deep yellow to orange in color. The flesh has a rich, sweet, spicy flavor with a mild, pleasant aroma and contains a monoembryonic seed. The fruit is widely considered to be one of the most excellent tasting mangoes in Florida. It typically matures from May to July in Florida.
History
During the early 20th century, Edward Simmonds was the head of the USDA's Plant Introduction Station in Miami, FloridaMiami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Due to the problems encountered with Indian-descended mango cultivars in Florida relating to their poor disease resistance and unreliable bearing habits, Simmonds began a mango breeding program in the 1920s where he sought to cross several cultivars of Indian descent with cultivars of southeast Asian origin. Simmonds hope was to develop hybrid varieties that would take on the best characteristics of both parents, with color and flavor of the Indian line and the flavor and disease resistance of the southeast Asian mangoes.
One of the results of the project was reportedly a 'Haden
Haden (mango)
The Haden' mango is a named mango cultivar that became one of the most widely cultivated in the world after it was introduced in the early 20th century through south Florida. It would ultimately become the parent of many other mango cultivars later developed in Florida.- History :In 1902, Captain...
' by 'Carabao' (or Philippine-type mango) cross, grown on Simmonds private residence in Miami. The resulting fruit, later named 'Edward' after Edward Simmonds, was found to have outstanding eating qualities and was named and described by David Sturrock in the late 1930s It was published in 1944, and commercial propagation began about 1948.
While generally agreed to have outstanding flavor and above average disease resistance, 'Edward' proved to be a poor producer in Florida despite consistent crops. The color of the fruit was not as outstanding as its parent 'Haden' either. This limited 'Edward' as a commercially grown mango for production purposes, though the variety remained popular as a dooryard tree for home growing.
'Edward' may have been one of the first hybrid crosses of Indian and Indochinese mangoes, though pedigree analysis conducted on the Florida mango cultivars has disputed the 'Carabao' parentage of 'Edward' while estimating that 'Haden' was indeed at least one of the parents. Several Florida mangoes are seedlings of 'Edward', including 'Duncan
Duncan (mango)
The Duncan mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida and was later patented.- History :The original tree was grown from a seed planted in 1956 by David Sturrock of West Palm Beach, Florida. Sturrock had written in 1969 that it had been a cross of Edward and Pico, but a 2005...
' and 'Young
Young (mango)
The Young' mango, also known as the Tebow' mango, is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.- History :The original tree was the result of a mango hybridization program begun in 1956 and conducted by David Sturrock of West Palm Beach, Florida. Sturrock crossed several varieties,...
'. Like 'Edward', both were the result of a hybridization program themselves.
Today 'Edward' is still propagated by major nurseries in Florida for home growing. 'Edward' trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami, the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
, and the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park
Fruit and Spice Park
The Fruit and Spice Park is a botanical garden in metropolitan Miami at 24801 SW 187 Avenue, located in the rural agricultural community of the Redland, Florida, United States.-Exhibits:...
, also in Homestead.
Description
The tree is a vigorous grower with a large, dense canopy. The tree is moderately resistant to anthracnose and is a consistent but poor bearer.The 'Edward' mango is oval/oblong shaped with an undulating surface, typically weighing between 16 to 22 oz. The skin possess little wax and is bright yellow in color with a pink to reddish tint with small white speckles. The flesh of the fruit is tender, fiberless, juicy, and deep yellow to orange in color. The flesh has a rich, sweet, spicy flavor with a mild, pleasant aroma and contains a monoembryonic seed. The fruit is widely considered to be one of the most excellent tasting mangoes in Florida. It typically matures from May to July in Florida.