History

The origin of the 'Julie' mango is not known for sure but recent genetic studies show that it was possibly descended from cultivars introduced to the Caribbean through the French West Indies from Réunion

Réunion

Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...

. ; its monoembryonic trait suggests it is descended from the Indian line of mangoes.

'Julie' was recognized for its outstanding flavor and its dwarf growth habit. It was introduced to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 via south Florida by Lawrence Zill, a nurseryman and horticulturalist known for producing new mango varieties. Several Florida varieties are descended directly or indirectly from 'Julie', including 'Sophie Fry

Sophie Fry (mango)

The Sophie Fry' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.- History :'Sophie Fry' was likely a seedling of the 'Julie' mango grown by Lawrence Zill of Boynton Beach, Florida....

', 'Gary

Gary (mango)

The Gary' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.-History:'Gary' was a seedling of the 'Carrie' mango. It was named after horticulturalist and nursery owner Gary Zill...

' and 'Carrie

Carrie (mango)

The Carrie' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.- History :The original tree was grown on the property of Lawrence H. Zill in Boynton Beach, Florida and was reportedly a seedling of the 'Sophie Fry' mango...

'. 'Julie' is also the parent of 'Graham

Graham (mango)

- History :'Graham' was a seedling of the 'Julie' mango planted in Trinidad. In 1932 the variety was introduced to the United States by the USDA through Florida....

', a variety from Trinidad.

'Julie' proved to be difficult to adapt to the humid climate of 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...

, however, and was very susceptible to fungus, making it unsuitable for commercial growing. Nevertheless the variety was sold as nursery stock for home growing and continues to be done so on a limited scale. It remains a popular variety in the West Indies, where it is often referred to as 'Saint Julian' mango.

'Julie' trees are part of the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository 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...

, 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 fruit is small, averaging less than a pound in weight at maturity. Skin color is green with some crimson blush. The fruit has a somewhat unique shape that is ovate with a distinctive flattened side. The flesh is juicy and not fibrous, with a deep orange color and a very rich flavor. It contains a monoembryonic seed. In Florida the fruit typical ripen from June to July.

The tree is famous for its small dwarfing growth habit. 'Julie' trees are very slow growing and generally stay within a height of 8 feet even without pruning.

External Links

• http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-833622583918523135# Video description of 'Julie' by Dr. Jonathan Crane of the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center