Florigon (mango)
Encyclopedia
The 'Florigon' mango is a named commercial mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.
. Kaiser was known for growing hybrid mangos, and later became the police chief as well as the clerk of the court for Ft. Lauderdale and later was a member of the executive committee of the Florida Mango Forum. The tree was believed to be a seedling of the 'Saigon
' mango, however a 2005 pedigree analysis estimated that 'Haden
' was the likely parent, but this is complicated by the fact that 'Florigon' is a polyembryonic mango. The name 'Florigon' was a combination of 'Florida' and 'Saigon'. The tree first fruited in 1936.
Though it was submitted to the variety committee of the Florida Mango Forum, 'Florigon' did not receive widespread attention, nor was it commercially propagated. However in more recent decades 'Florigon' has become recognized for its excellent flavor, good production characteristics, and disease resistance, and is now sold as nursery stock in Florida as well as grown on a limited commercial scale.
'Florigon' trees are planted in the collections of 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 original 'Florigon' tree is still standing in Ft. Lauderdale.
The trees are moderately vigorous and have upright canopies.
History
The original tree grew from a seed planted in 1932 on the property of John G. Kaiser of Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. Kaiser was known for growing hybrid mangos, and later became the police chief as well as the clerk of the court for Ft. Lauderdale and later was a member of the executive committee of the Florida Mango Forum. The tree was believed to be a seedling of the 'Saigon
Saigon (mango)
Saigon is a seedling race of mango cultivars originally introduced to the United States via seed from Southeast Asia.- History :'Saigon' seeds were shipped to the United States from Saigon, Cochinchina in 1902 and planted at the USDA's plant introduction station in Miami, Florida for observation...
' mango, however a 2005 pedigree analysis estimated that '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...
' was the likely parent, but this is complicated by the fact that 'Florigon' is a polyembryonic mango. The name 'Florigon' was a combination of 'Florida' and 'Saigon'. The tree first fruited in 1936.
Though it was submitted to the variety committee of the Florida Mango Forum, 'Florigon' did not receive widespread attention, nor was it commercially propagated. However in more recent decades 'Florigon' has become recognized for its excellent flavor, good production characteristics, and disease resistance, and is now sold as nursery stock in Florida as well as grown on a limited commercial scale.
'Florigon' trees are planted in the collections of 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. The original 'Florigon' tree is still standing in Ft. Lauderdale.
Description
The fruit is small and ovate in shape, averaging less than a pound in weight. At maturity it is almost entirely yellow, sometimes with some light blush. The flesh is rich and non-fibrous, containing a polyembryonic seed. The fruit ripens from May to July in Florida.The trees are moderately vigorous and have upright canopies.