| Mangifera 'Ice Cream' | |
|---|---|
 Fruit & Spice Park mango grove | |
| Genus | Mangifera |
| Species | Mangifera indica |
| Cultivar | 'Ice Cream' |
| Origin | Trinidad and Tobago |
The 'Ice Cream' mango is a semi-dwarfmango cultivar that originated inTrinidad and Tobago and was later introduced toFlorida.
The Ice Cream cultivar was discovered inTrinidad andTobago,[1] and was later brought to theUnited States by Maurice Kong of the Rare Fruit Council International and introduced viaFlorida. It is of unknown parentage.
It became recognized for its semi-dwarf growth habit; trees can be maintained under 6.5 feet in height,[2] and it has been promoted as a "condo mango" by Dr. Richard Campbell of theFairchild 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 theUSDA's tropical fruit germplasm inMiami, Florida,[3] as well as the Miami–DadeFruit and Spice Park[4] inHomestead, Florida.
Ice Cream fruit are very small in size, averaging only eight ounces (half a pound) at maturity.[5] The fruit tend to be yellow-green, lacking any red blush. Ripe Ice Cream fruit are green.[5] It is a flat oval shape with a bumpy surface. The flesh is fiberless, rich, sweet,[2] and spicy, and contains amonoembryonic seed. The fruit ripens from June to July in Florida. Its spicy sweet taste has been likened to Mango Sorbet.[2] The plant is disease- and pest-tolerant.[2] The plant produces an average yield although trees are not very productive in Florida due to poor fungus resistance.[6] Cross pollination can improve fruit production in Ice Cream.
The trees are of low vigor and can be maintained at heights under 8 feet.
