Celebrated as the King of fruits in India, the mango is known as the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.

It is one of the most cultivated fruits with about 1000 varieties of mangoes grown in India alone. This makes India the largest producer of mangoes in the world as it produces more than half of the world's mangoes each year. However, most of this produce is consumed locally and a small percentage of the total produce is exported to other countries.

They grow well in tropical climates where the temperature does not drop below 20 degrees celsius. Mango trees produce their first fruit 8 years after seed germination and after 5 years if grown from saplings.

The mango tree grows up to 100 feet high with a canopy that spreads out 35 feet or more and enjoys a lifespan of a 100 plus years. The oldest living mango tree documented is 300 years old, located in East Khandesh, India and bears fruit to this day. Other dwarf varieties grow to be small or medium-sized trees with a shorter lifespan.

The flowers small, pinkish, and fragrant are borne in large terminal panicles (loose clusters). They grow ten to twelve inches in length. The flower is hermaphroditic with male and female flowers in the same flower panicle. Flies and fruit bats contribute to the pollination of mango flowers rather than bees.

The mango is a type of 'stone fruit' as the seed of the mango is encased into a hard shell that has to be cut for the seed to be retrieved. Its seeds are rich in vitamin B12 and contain high stearic acid, a useful type of saturated fatty acid that aids in reducing the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases when consumed moderately.

It is also used to make soaps and detergents.