Mangifera indica, commonly known as mango, is a species of flowering plant in the sumac and poison ivy family Anacardiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent. Hundreds of cultivated varieties are introduced to other warm regions of the world.
You can start a mango tree by planting the seed from a fruit, but if you want the tree to bear fruit, you should buy a grafted plant instead. The mango fruit you buy in the store is likely from a hybrid, so a plant grown from its seed won't grow "true" and is likely to be sterile (unable to bear fruit). There are many dwarf varieties of mango available that will produce a plant of manageable size rather than the landscape versions that can often reach 60 to 100 feet. Be forewarned, though, that it's difficult to keep an indoor mango plant alive for more than a few years, and it may never mature enough to bear fruit. Mango trees in the outdoor garden or potted on a deck or patio usually fare somewhat better.
