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Tree Species (Scientific Name)

Mangifera indica

Tree Family

Anacardiaceae

Average Leaf Size (cm)

19.5cm

Length

4.5cm

Width

Tree Height

Medium (20–35m)

Elevational Range (m)

0–1200m

Distribution

Native

Exotic

Exotic in Peru

Native to

Region

Americas

Latin America

Belize

Exotic in

Latin America

Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

Coffee Agroforestry Information

Coffee System

Arabica

Coffee Impact

Beneficial to coffee

Prevalence

Unknown

Cultivation

Planted

Natural

Tree Management

Propagated by seed, sprout and grafting. Cuttings can also produce roots. It withstands dry periods and poor soils. During the first years after planting, watering promotes redness and suppresses flowering, so the size of the tree increases rapidly, and also widens the margin for intercropping with other crops. Stopping watering leads to flowering. Green fruits have a resinous oil that is irritating and caustic, which can cause strong irritation on contact with the skin. Long-lived tree.

Tree Benefits and Uses

Farmer Uses

Food
Livestock Forage
Firewood
Lumber
Medicinal
Product

It is strong and heavy, in many places pieces of the trunk are used to cut meats in butcher shops. Wood must be treated with preservatives when used in construction and outdoor applications. It is a species cultivated for the nutritional value of its fruits which can be eaten, made into a drink, and can be sold in local markets. The pulp of ripe fruits is edible and is used to prepare jellies, preserves and juices. The tree produces tannins. The leaves, flowers and resin are used in traditional medicine. The dried flowers and bark extracts are used as astringents, and extracts of unripe fruits, bark, stems and leaves are used as antibiotics. It produces excellent charcoal and is used for burning due to its less toxic smoke. It is also used to grow mushrooms.

Farm Services

Coffee Shade

Biodiversity Benefits

Citations

Solis R, Vallejos-Torres G, Arévalo L, Marín-Díaz J, Ñique-Alvarez M, Engedal T, Bruun TB (2020). Carbon stocks and the use of shade trees in different coffee growing systems in the Peruvian Amazon. The Journal of Agricultural Science 1–11. https:// doi.org/10.1017/S002185962000074X;

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Mangifera indica (L.). Accessed 5 Oct 2022. Published on the Internet: https://panamabiota.org/stri/taxa/index.php?taxon=Mangifera+indica&formsubmit=Search+Terms#;

Plants of the World Online POWO (2022). "Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org;

Shade Catalog | Indonesia. Shade Catalog, Conservation International, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and World Coffee Research. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from https://www.shadecoffee.org/en/catalog/indonesia

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