Eldon (mango)

The 'Eldon' mango is a mango cultivar which originated in south Florida, USA. Eldon eventually became a commercially adopted variety.

Mangifera 'Eldon'
Eldon mangoes at the Redland Summer Fruit Festival, Fruit and Spice Park, Homestead, Florida
Genus	Mangifera
Species	Mangifera indica
Hybrid parentage	'Cowasji Patel' × unknown
Cultivar	'Eldon'
Breeder	Walter B. Eldon
Origin	Florida, USA

History

The original tree was grown from a seed on the property of Walter B. Eldon in Miami, Florida in 1939.^[1] Reportedly the seed had been a Haden seed, and a 1995 analysis supported this; however a 2005 pedigree study did not support this, estimating that Eldon was likely a seedling of Cowasji Patel instead.^[2] The original tree first fruited in 1942. Propagation was begun around 1948 by Lawrence Zill and J.W. Chafer.

While Eldon did not become a popular nursery stock tree in Florida over the following decades, it did eventually gain commercial acceptance in Africa.^[3]

Eldon trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami,^[4] and the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida.^[5]

Eldon may have been a parent of the Southern Blush mango.

Description

The fruit is of oval shape and averages about a pound in weight; moreover, the fruit may have variegated color upon maturity, and can be a mix of green, yellow, orange and red blush. The flesh is yellow and has a sweet flavor with a pleasant aroma. The fruit contains a monoembryonic seed.

The trees are moderately vigorous with a large canopy that contains light green leaves.