Mango trees grow in only a few places in the United States, but here they are everywhere. There are many areas where groves of Mangos have been planted.
However, they grow wild all over the place.
These trees can grow up to 65 feet high and some have been known to live for 300 years. They flower in early spring. About 10 days ago, we were greeted with the pungent pollen smell when the blooms erupted. After a couple of days the smell got a little sweeter. This picture shows a blooming tree that borders our parking lot at Ron’s RV Park in Lo de Marcos.
About 100 to 150 days after they bloom, the large fruit is mature and ready to pick. At that time, large crews scour the area and harvest the crop. It is quite an endeavor. The men must climb the trees and cut each mango individually with a special knife that has a net to keep the fruit from dropping to the ground. The lot next to our parking lot is not very big, but it takes a crew all day to harvest it.
As we drive this area, between La Peñita and Puerto Vallarta, we are amazed how many mango trees there are and wonder how they are able to harvest all of the fruit.