Mangifera Indica, Mango, Aam - 0.5 kg Seeds

The Mango, Mangifera indica, is a large evergreen fruit tree of the cashew family and one of India's most cherished trees, grown in nearly every state from the Gangetic plains to the Deccan and the coastal south. A mature specimen forms a broad, dense, dome-shaped crown of dark glossy leaves that casts deep shade, making it a favourite for orchards, farm boundaries and village avenues. Beyond its world-famous fruit, the timber is used for cheap construction and plywood, the leaves and bark feature in traditional medicine, and the dried flowers and kernel have Ayurvedic uses.

• Family: Anacardiaceae
• Native region: Indian subcontinent and Myanmar
• Mature height: 10–30 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

Mango seed is recalcitrant and will not survive drying, so sow it fresh. Peel away the fibrous husk to expose the kernel, soak it in water for 24 hours, then sow flat (concave side down) about 2–3 cm deep in a rich, well-drained nursery mix kept warm and moist. Polyembryonic types germinate in 2–3 weeks and may throw several seedlings; transplant the strongest to bags once two pairs of true leaves appear and field-plant at the start of the monsoon.