Mango Trees

Choosing between Bowen, Kensington Pride and King Thai

The first two names overlap for a reason. Kensington Pride arose in the Bowen district of north Queensland in the 1880s, and growers still sell it under the district's name, so the Kensington Pride Mango Tree and the Bowen mango here are the same classic style of fruit: deep golden flesh, rich aromatic flavour and very little fibre. If you want the mango Australians picture when they hear the word, either is the right tree.

King Thai is the pick when space is tight. It is a naturally compact Thai variety with sweet, fibre free fruit, comfortable held around 3m with one prune a year, and the best of the three for growing in a very large pot.

Where mango trees grow in Australia

Mangoes are true tropical trees. The commercial crops come from Darwin, Katherine, Kununurra, Carnarvon and coastal Queensland, and in tropical and subtropical gardens a mango in full sun on free draining soil is close to effortless. In warm temperate areas, roughly Coffs Harbour to Sydney plus much of Perth, they grow and fruit in a warm, frost free position, ideally near a north facing wall that stores heat. Young trees are frost tender, so anywhere that sees even light frost, cover them for their first two or three winters. Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmania are honestly too cold for a mango outdoors.

Flowering comes in winter and early spring, and dry weather at flowering sets the heaviest crop, which is why the dry tropics fruit so reliably. In humid coastal gardens, full sun and open air movement around the canopy help keep anthracnose off the flowers and young fruit.

Planting and care

Give the tree at least six hours of direct sun and soil that drains freely, 4m or more from buildings and pipes. Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper, keep the graft union above soil level, water in well and mulch 75mm deep with mulch held clear of the trunk. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then ease off; established trees mainly need water while fruit is sizing. Feed in late winter and again after harvest with a complete fruit tree fertiliser, and go easy on nitrogen, which buys leaves at the expense of fruit.

Left alone, a mango becomes a 10m shade tree. Prune straight after harvest to hold it at 3m to 4m and it stays easy to net against fruit fly and birds, easy to pick, and far more productive for its footprint.

Common questions

Do I need two mango trees for fruit?

No. All three varieties are self fertile, so a single tree will flower and crop on its own. A second tree buys you more fruit and a spread of ripening times, not pollination.

How long until the first mangoes?

Grafted trees usually flower within two to four years of planting. Remove any fruit that sets in the first year so the energy goes into building a strong frame, then let it crop. Harvest runs from December to March depending on your region, and a mature backyard tree can carry a serious quantity of fruit.

Can I grow a mango in a pot?

King Thai can live long term in a 100L container in full sun with daily water through summer and a repot every few years. The Bowen and Kensington Pride types are too vigorous to be happy in a pot beyond their first few seasons.

How do the trees arrive?

As young grafted trees in nursery pots, delivered Australia wide with delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. If you are planting a backyard orchard, the wider fruit tree range and the lemon trees share the same feeding and care routine.