After eight long months without a single juicy bite, mango lovers understand the anticipation that builds through the off-season. Then, suddenly, as the warm season creeps in, a handful of early mango varieties begin to ripen—heralding the start of mango season.
There’s something almost sacred about the first mango of the year. After months of waiting, resisting imported imitations and dreaming of real, sun-ripened flavor, the first bite of a freshly picked mango is pure delight. The flesh is soft, bursting with juice, and transports you back to your favorite mango memories. Each bite reminds you why you passed over the Red mangos at Whole Foods.
Fortunately, several mango varieties are generous enough to bear fruit early in the season, often starting as early as April in South Florida. These early-fruiting cultivars offer a glimpse of what's to come, and for the mango-obsessed, they are nothing short of a blessing.
We were fortunate enough to get our hands on some early Edward and Lemon Meringue for the staff here at the nursery and the fruit did not disappoint. Edward, with its classic flavor, was very first to awaken the mango obsession within all of us. Lemon Meringue was next, ultra sweet and juicy, begging to be eaten for dessert, but the type of dessert that you can eat all day long.
Whether you pick from your own backyard tree or buy from a farm, the first mango of the season marks the beginning of something special. Many enthusiasts treat it almost ceremonially, slicing with care, savoring the fragrance, and sharing among loved ones. There’s a kind of reverence reserved for that first bite—equal parts nostalgia and sheer flavor ecstasy.
Soon, the season will explode in full abundance, with dozens of varieties ripening. But there’s a special magic in those first few fruits, the ones that arrive early, carrying the taste of summer before summer itself has fully arrived.
It’s an excellent time to start putting in early season varieties into your food forest - this time next year, you could be eating the first mangos of the year before anyone else does.
Use the search bar on the top of this page to see all of the early season mango varieties we carry. Simply type in "early season mango" and check out the selection. You can then use the compare feature to find the perfect early season mango tree for your yard.