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Named after a real-life “Plant Indiana Jones,” Fairchild is a small mango tree that produces fruit with a flavor universally enjoyed by those seeking a strong, classic mango taste with some complexity.
While there are other mango cultivars bearing the ‘Fairchild’ name, such as “Fairchild Ruby/Diamond/Emerald,” this grow guide specifically focuses on the OG Fairchild Mango.
With that being said, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about Fairchild Mango:
Table of Contents
- Fairchild Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
- Fairchild Mango Flavor Profile
- Fairchild Mango Season (And When To Pick)
- Fairchild Mango Disease Resistance
- Fairchild Mango History
- Fairchild Mango Tree For Sale
- Conclusion
Fairchild Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
The Fairchild Mango is considered a small-sized mango tree.
Fairchild Mango Trees have a low vigor & spreading growth habit that produces a somewhat open canopy. As a result, Fairchild can realistically be kept between 8 – 10 feet tall with annual pruning.
While they are not considered true dwarfs, these trees are very manageable and can be easily trained to exhibit a more compact growth habit. That said, Fairchild Mangos would do well long-term in containers and would be considered a “condo” mango.
Additionally, Fairchild Mango Trees boast attractive deep-green foliage. Consequently, Fairchild is an excellent choice for those with limited space who are also seeking a smaller ‘ornamental fruit tree.’
Fairchild’s fruit production consistently ranges from average to good. While the trees are not incredibly precocious, they reliably start producing sizable crops at a young age.
The mangos themselves are small-sized fruits that typically weigh between 0.3 – 0.7 lbs. Between the small fruit size and large seed, Fairchild Mangos do tend to have a poor flesh-to-seed ratio.
Fairchild Mango Flavor Profile
Fairchild Mangos are considered an Indochinese Flavored Mango.
Fairchild Mangos will be at their peak flavor and sweetness when the fruit’s skin color transitions to a lemon yellow. At this point, they will also begin to develop a pleasant, rich, and aromatic mango smell. Slicing into the fruit will reveal orangish-yellow flesh that is juicy and fiberless, with a nice, smooth texture that is somewhat firm.
From a flavor perspective, Fairchild Mango has a strong classic mango flavor. Much like Edward Mango, Fairchild has a very intense/concentrated sweet “mango flavor” that I like to sillily describe as “Mango Mango.” However, unlike Edward, Fairchild contains mild amounts of complex and spicy flavors.
More specifically, when the fruit is perfectly ripe, I will often taste some acidic components that very much remind of a tangerine-like citrus flavor in addition to some subtle resinous notes as well. Furthermore, Fairchild has a very distinct and pleasant tartness that acts as a nice compliment to the fruit’s sweetness.
Overall, Fairchild’s flavor will be mostly appreciated by those who are looking for that classic mango flavor and also like a small amount of flavor complexity as well. I personally believe that Fairchild is very similar to Edward, but with the complexity and acidic dials turned up ever-so-slightly.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Fairchild Mangos produce monoembryonic seeds, which means that planting a seed from a Fairchild Mango won’t yield another Fairchild Mango Tree.
Fairchild Mango Season (And When To Pick)
Fairchild Mangos are considered a mid-season mango (June – July).
With that being said, the best time to pick Fairchild Mangos are when they are mature and beginning to ripen on the tree. From a color perspective, this is when the fruit is beginning to show signs of yellow color break. Fairchild is perfectly ripe when the majority of the fruit transitions to a lemon yellow color.
Fortunately for us, Fairchild is a mango cultivar that we can more often than not judge our harvesting window almost exclusively by color. They won’t have any red blush or any other weird attributes that can play mental mind games with us on whether or not they are ready to be picked 😄
However, aside from color, here are some additional tips to knowing when a Fairchild Mango is ready to pick:
- Has the fruit fattened up?
- How does the stem look? It’s it drying up near where it connects to the fruit?
- Are there beads of sap present on the fruit?
- Is the fruit’s skin beginning to stretch?
- Poke Test (see below)
When Fairchild Mangos reach their full mature size, they tend to quickly drop to the ground. As a result, if slightly poking or moving the fruit at this stage results in the fruit dropping onto the ground, that means they are ready!
Finally, similar to other smaller-sized mangos, Fairchild Mangos tend to hang in clusters, which really adds to that ‘ornamental mango tree’ look. It’s not as extravagant as Lemon Meringue, but nevertheless, it is still quite beautiful.
Fairchild Mango Disease Resistance
Fairchild Mango is incredibly disease resistant. In fact, this mango cultivar seems to be almost completely immune to Anthracnose.
As a result, Fairchild would be an excellent addition to yards with less than ideal conditions, such as higher humidity levels and low winds.
Fairchild Mango History
Fairchild Mango was discovered near the Panama Canal by Dr. David Fairchild at the turn of the 20th century. It subsequently made its way to Hawaii in the 1920s and then to Florida in 1936. However, the original specimens were eventually lost to time and were eventually reintroduced back to Florida in 1992 by Dr. Carl Campbell.
It is speculated that Fairchild is likely an Indian/Indochinese hybrid.
Side Note: Dr. Fairchild was essentially a ‘Plant Indiana Jones,’ credited for introducing over 200,000 different types of plants to the United States. For more information on his incredible life, I really enjoyed reading article from the Smithsonian Magazine.
Fairchild Mango Tree For Sale
Depending on where you live, I have found that locating a Fairchild Mango Tree can range from common to uncommon. While they are not rare by any means, they don’t seem to be produced at the same quantity relative to a lot of the newer Zill varieties.
With that being said, if you are unable to find one at a local nursery, your next best option is checking out Tropical Acres Farms (not sponsored). They are the only legit place online (from my experience) that you are getting exactly what you are paying for.
They have over 300 varieties of mangos available. You can either order budwood to graft yourself or submit a grafting request to have a grafted tree created for you. They do ship!
Conclusion
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