How Long Does a Manila Mango Tree Bear Fruit?

Growing Conditions

• The mango is not native to North America, but is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10B through 11. In a frost-free climate, a mango tree can live many years and grow 30 to a 100 feet in height. Trees that are less than 10 years old may flower and fruit every year. After 10 years, they tend towards alternate, or biennial bearing, in which the branches that fruit one year will not bear the following year.

Mango Fruit

• The "Manila" mango is among the better types for eating compared to some of the more brightly colored commercial types, according to Texas A&M University. They produce pale green, elongated kidney-shaped fruit at the end of a long, string-like stem with sometimes two to three fruits per stem and will ripen four to five months after flowering.

Harvesting Mangos

• Most mangos will produce ripe fruit between May and September, though local climate variations will affect the date. The "Manila" cultivar is an early-ripening variety, notes Purdue University. Harvest fruits at the "color break" when the fruits change from green to yellow, usually on the blossom end; fruits that are of similar size and larger can be harvested, too, repeating the process once the remaining fruit begins to show color. Texas A&M points out that another indicator of maturity is that the color of the flesh around the seed will change from white to yellow. When the mango is full grown and ready for picking, the stem will snap easily with a slight pull.

Long-producing Mangos

• The older the tree, the more fruit it will produce. At 10 to 20 years, a good annual crop of mangos can be 200 to 300 fruits. At twice that age and older, the crop will be doubled. Old trees have been known to bear 1,000 to 1,500 fruits or more, and some trees have been known to live over a hundred years, still bearing crops.