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We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’
While Ugly Betty is not the most beautiful mango in the world, it has a very delicious flavor profile that can be traced back to its world-famous mother: Carrie Mango.
With that being said, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about Ugly Betty Mango:
Table of Contents
- Ugly Betty Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
- Ugly Betty Mango Flavor Profile
- Ugly Betty Mango Season (And When To Pick)
- Ugly Betty Mango Disease Resistance
- Ugly Betty Mango History
- Ugly Betty Mango Tree For Sale
- Conclusion
Ugly Betty Mango Tree Growth Habit & Fruit Production
The Ugly Betty Mango is considered a medium-sized mango tree.
Ugly Betty Mango Trees have a moderately vigorous & upright growth habit that produces a dense canopy. As a result, Ugly Betty can realistically be kept between 10 – 15 feet tall with annual pruning. With that being said, Ugly Betty would not do well long-term in containers and would not be considered a “condo” mango.
While Ugly Betty Mango Trees are known to be fast growers during their early years, this growth rate gradually tapers off as the tree consistently begins to produce fruit every year.
Speaking of fruit, Ugly Betty Mango’s fruit production consistently ranges from fair to average. As a result, Ugly Betty is not as productive as other mangos in its family tree (obligatory bad pun) such as Angie, Carrie or Juliette. The mangos themselves are medium-sized fruits that typically weigh between 1 – 1.5 lbs. With that being said, Ugly Betty has a really good flesh-to-seed ratio, meaning there is a lot more fruit to enjoy!
Fun Fact: Ugly Betty is considered a freestone mango or a truly fiberless mango where the pulp of the fruit doesn’t stick to the seed at all.
Ugly Betty Mango Flavor Profile
Ugly Betty Mangos are considered an Indian Flavored Mango.
At their peak ripeness, Ugly Betty mangoes have a very fragrant and fruity aroma with hints of citrus. Cutting into the fruit reveals a yellow-orange, fiberless, and incredibly smooth flesh. While the flesh is slightly firm, it is nevertheless quite juicy.
Furthermore, while Ugly Betty doesn’t have the melting texture of Buttercream Mango, it is less dense than Carrie.
From a flavor perspective, Ugly Betty is a well-balanced mango combining notes of spiciness and resin with sweetness and richness. Depending on the fruit’s ripeness, it can have a complex and almost savory flavor with an orange/guava aftertaste. Overall, it is a very refreshing flavor that does a great job combining flavor elements from both the classic and Indian mango spectrum.
Side Note: If you really love guava, you might want to consider looking into Guava Mango 😀
Relative to other mangoes I have sampled, Ugly Betty shares flavor characteristics akin to those found in Carrie, Angie and Juliette. Personally, I believe that Ugly Betty’s flavor bears a resemblance to Carrie, but with an added layer of delightful complexity.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Ugly Betty Mangos produce monoembryonic seeds, which means that planting a seed from an Ugly Betty Mango won’t yield another Ugly Betty Mango Tree.
Ugly Betty Mango Season (And When To Pick)
Ugly Betty Mangos are considered a mid-season mango (June – July).
With that being said, the best time to pick Ugly Betty 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. Ugly Betty is perfectly ripe when the majority of the fruit transitions to a greenish-yellow to yellow color.
While Ugly Betty can sometimes develop a pinkish-red blush on its shoulders, it’s important to remember that a mango’s blush has nothing to do with the fruit’s ripeness. A rule of thumb to remember is that More Sun = More Blush, Less Sun = Less Blush.
At the end of the day, with the exception of the pink shoulders, a ripe Ugly Betty looks eerily similar to a ripe Carrie. With that being said, remember that color is only one indicator on whether the fruit is ready to harvest or not. So don’t stress out if there is still a little green towards the bottom of the fruit 🙂
With that being said, here are some additional tips to knowing when a Ugly Betty Mango is ready to pick:
- Is the fruit beginning to soften?
- 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?
Finally, much like Carrie, Ugly Betty has very thin skin, which increases the risk of bruising should the fruit fall from the tree. Therefore, it’s important to regularly monitor the fruit and harvest it before it drops.
Ugly Betty Mango Disease Resistance
Ugly Betty Mango is somewhat resistant to Anthracnose. With that being said, planting Ugly Betty in yards with a sea breeze closer to the coast or in drier areas can improve fruit production.
Ugly Betty Mango History
The Ugly Betty Mango was first propagated in Boynton Beach, Florida by Gary Zill.
Ugly Betty was originally designated as #7-20 in Gary’s mango breeding program. It received its name from Marlys Zill, who chose the name based on its unappealing bumpy and uneven outer skin, as well as its unattractive color. The inspiration for the name allegedly came from the TV show ‘Ugly Betty.
Ugly Betty is a seedling of Carrie Mango. It’s pollinating parent is unknown.
Additionally, Ugly Betty is also a sibling to Val Carrie, Angie, and Cecilove.
Ugly Betty Mango Tree For Sale
Despite Ugly Betty being a delicious mango, most nurseries tend to carry Carrie over Ugly Betty. I believe this is because Carrie is an older variety that many people are more familiar with, whereas Ugly Betty is still a relatively new variety.
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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Thank you for reading! 🙂
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