Ice Cream (mango)
Encyclopedia
The "Ice Cream" mango is a semi-dwarf mango cultivar that originated in Trinidad and Tobago
and was later introduced to Florida
.
and Tobago
, and was later brought to the United States
by Maurice Kong of the Rare Fruit Council International and introduced via Florida
. It is of unknown parentage.
It became recognized for its semi-dwarf growth habit; trees can be maintained under 6.5 feet in height, and it has been promoted as a 'condo mango' by Dr. Richard Campbell of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
. Because of its dwarf properties, 'Ice Cream' is often grown in a pot. It has become a commonly sold nursery stock tree marketed to home growers in Florida.
'Ice Cream' trees are now planted at the USDA's tropical fruit germplasm in Miami, Florida
, as well as the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park
in Homestead, Florida
.
The trees are of low vigor and can be maintained at heights under 8 feet.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and was later introduced to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
History
The 'Ice Cream' cultivar was discovered in TrinidadTrinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
, and was later brought to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Maurice Kong of the Rare Fruit Council International and introduced via Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is of unknown parentage.
It became recognized for its semi-dwarf growth habit; trees can be maintained under 6.5 feet in height, and it has been promoted as a 'condo mango' by Dr. Richard Campbell of the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a botanic garden, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines. It is located in metropolitan Miami, just south of Coral Gables, Florida, United States, surrounded at the south and west by Matheson...
. Because of its dwarf properties, 'Ice Cream' is often grown in a pot. It has become a commonly sold nursery stock tree marketed to home growers in Florida.
'Ice Cream' trees are now planted at the USDA's tropical fruit germplasm in Miami, Florida
Miami, 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...
, as well as 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:...
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....
.
Description
'Ice Cream' fruit are very small in size, averaging only eight ounces (half a pound) at maturity. The fruit tend to be yellow-green, lacking any red blush. Ripe Ice Cream fruit are green. It is a flat oval shape with a bumpy surface. The flesh is fiberless, rich, sweet, and spicy, and contains a monoembryonic seed. The fruit ripens from June to July in Florida. Its spicy sweet taste has been likened to Mango Sorbet. The plant is disease- and pest-tolerant. The plant produces an average yield although trees are not very productive in Florida due to poor fungus resistance. Cross pollination can improve fruit production in Ice Cream.The trees are of low vigor and can be maintained at heights under 8 feet.