Wondering if you can grow a mango plant indoors? Yes, you can. It may never bear fruit, but it makes an attractive house plant and can be a fun project.
Mangoes are native to southern Asia, but were carried by monks and explorers to other subtropical regions throughout the world. Mangoes are prized for their fragrant aroma and sweet flavor. They are a versatile fruit, used in desserts, such as sorbets and smoothies, or in savory dishes, such as salsas and sauces. Mangoes are delicious fresh or dried.
In the tropics, this plant grows 30 to 100 feet high, making it a bit large for the home grower. But grown in a pot and occasionally pruned, a mango plant makes an attractive indoor houseplant with glossy leaves and a bushy, shrub-like appearance. Commercially grown mangoes typically produce fruit within six to seven years, although getting an indoor plant to produce fruit is difficult because of the lack of light. Mango plant flowers produce volatile substances which can cause allergic reactions or respiratory problems in some people.
To grow a mango at home, follow the steps below:
- Pick a ripe mango from the market. Seeds from fully ripe mangoes germinate more quickly than those from firm, under ripe fruits. A mango plant grown from seed may not resemble the parent plant or produce identical fruit. Buy a nursery propagated seedling if you prefer.
- After you’ve eaten the juicy fruit, scrape any remaining flesh off the mango with a scraper. Pry the outer shell open with a chisel and carefully remove the inner seed.
- Insert two small toothpicks 1/8-inch into each side of the mango seed and set the mango seed in a pint-size jar of water so that half the seed is submerged. Rest the toothpicks on the jar so the upper portion of the seed remains dry.
- Wait two weeks for the seed to germinate, adding more water when the water level falls below the seed.
- Once the seed sprouts, producing small white roots remove it from the water and plant it in a 10-gallon pot with good drainage. Fill the pot with a lightweight potting mix containing compost and place the seed 2 inches below the surface with the rooted portions pointing downward. Place the pot in a warm, sunny location of the house.
- Water the soil frequently to keep it evenly moist and spray the plant occasionally with a spray bottle filled with water to keep the evergreen leaves clean and increase humidity.
- Feed the mango plant monthly during the summer months with a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer, but withhold fertilizer during the winter and reduce water, as well.
- Pinch the top leaves off the mango plant occasionally to maintain its compact size and improve its appearance.
- Place the mango plant under grow lights during the winter to encourage fruiting.
Similar to growing an avocado tree from seed, growing a mango from seed is an unpredictable, but interesting, experiment. For best results, plant the mango in a large container and keep the soil moist. Try to simulate the plant’s native environment, which is warm and humid, and be patient. Mangoes take several years to develop and may never produce fruit.
CC flickr photo courtesy of Flouride’s Memories
charles clark says
November 12, 2012 at 1:33 pmCant get my seeds to sprout. Been in water for over 3 weeks What can I do?
CaroleGregornik says
January 21, 2013 at 2:30 pmCharles, what I did was plant the seed in soil on its long edge, and water. Keeping it moist, and waiting is far better for me as I do not have the time, nor what to put forth the effort to soak, drain, soak, etc. It took a long while, maybe 45 days or so, and then I saw life. I planted 3 or 5 seeds and only one sprouted. This was last spring and now almost a year later my plant is 6-8 inches tall. I live in Missouri, it is growing in a pot indoors. I plan to re-pot this little tree in the early spring and place it outside in a semi-sunny place for the summer.
Ben says
May 25, 2013 at 12:25 pmI would replace the seeds. Always make sure the water is warm.
J says
April 3, 2016 at 1:12 pmbit old, but I put the seed inside potting soil, inside a 1 quart ziplock bag, add water so soil is moist and then put in direct sunlight (indoors). Usually a few weeks later, I see growth. I keep it in the bag until the first two leaves are about 3 inches long, then transplant it. Most times, I can get the plant to about 1 foot long, then it starts to die (part due to my not being able to take care of it). My latest tree is 2 feet, well leaved, with a substantial root. It will be an indoor tree as it gets too cold outside.
Bill says
May 23, 2016 at 6:34 amI have been growing my mango for 3 years. Good light and not too much watering have worked for me. I have another tree, Monkey Blossom, that I grew from seed that I picked up while walking around Waikiki Hawaii 3 years ago. Both trees are doing great here in Delaware.
Mike says
July 28, 2016 at 12:03 amI tried 8 seeds from mangos purchased from two different chain grocers and all 8 have begun sprouted within 5 days using this method: Take seed out of pit, gently scrape the side of the seed with a butter knife (itch it) , soak the seed in water over night, place the seed in a “wetter than damp” paper tower, and place the paper towel in a Ziploc bag. Check the bags every 2 days or so to make sure the towel is wetter than damp, but not soaking. You’ll see roots about 3/4 of an inch long before a week is up.
Manuel I Fernandez-Longo says
August 22, 2018 at 1:54 amThis process worked for me too. It has been 2 weeks and the seed has been growing nicely.
Sheila Hilton says
June 20, 2017 at 4:06 pmI remembered growing beans in junior school in a jar lined inside it with wet blotting paper. The beans were placed between the glass and paper. We then germinated the beans in a dark cupboard. So with this in mind, I wrapped my mango seeds loosely in wet (not too wet) kitchen roll, placed them in a ziplock polythene bag and put them on a shelf under my stairs. After a couple of weeks – hey presto! They had germinated. I now have half a dozen healthy, potted indoor mango plants. Easy peasey. Every one of them germinated.
Jeanne Spearman says
July 13, 2017 at 8:17 pmDid you take the seed out of the large seed. You have to split the large piece. or try prying it part way open . At present my first is 8 inches high, and have two where the root is coming out and turns downward, and slowly the tree part starts showing up. I start mine in a small plastic container with papertowel stuffed in and the seed down in it, and keep it moist.
Helen Williams says
July 23, 2018 at 12:54 pmi open the core to get to seed pull out seed and wrap in a napkin,put into baggie and blow air in bag and lock it set in window for sun or outside a tree will sprout i have 3 of them now
Tina says
September 24, 2018 at 10:31 amI let my seed dry out for the day, placed it in a paper towel and dampened the thing. Placed it in a sealed bagie and left it on the counter a few weeks checking on it ocasionally. The seed took 3 weeks to sprout, never dried up as it was sealed in a dark dry spot and ive got a little mango friend growing successfully under a grow light in my room
MH says
October 17, 2017 at 1:33 pmHi All,
Here is how I planted my seeds. It worked real well. Buy Mangos and let them get real ripe. So that the meat is nice and squishy but not rotten. Then take out the main hard shell seed. Scrape as much of the mango meat off as possible. Let the hard shell dry out on the counter in the fresh air. About a week. Then open the hard shell carefully on one end with scissors. Pry open the shell and take out the inner seed. You should see a tail or some kind of growth on the seed. Place this tail facing the bottom of your planter lengthwise is the dirt. The narrowest part facing up with about 1/4 of the seed showing above the dirt. Place in a location that gets a good amount of sunshine daily. Water the planter well. I misted my seeds every day to keep the top of the seed and soil moist. When the planter dirt starts to get dry below the surface level add more water to keep moist but not wet. Now Wait !! My first seed sprouted in about two weeks. The second one about 4. My experience has been to make sure to mist the plant daily, as they like the moisture. Good Luck !
Deanna Melanson says
February 13, 2018 at 2:46 pmJust stick in some soil and keep moist. Works every time for me. The simplest way is best!
Helen Williams says
July 23, 2018 at 12:56 pmopen core put in napkin is best for first time growers i had 7 i didnt pay attention to cold and died now i have 3 and i am watching
Amber says
September 23, 2018 at 7:53 amI put one in dirt and one in a glass of water. Both seeds were from very ripe mangos and already had a root started when I cut open the outer shell. The leaves sprouted within a week. The one I had in water was pure experimentation. The water was very shallow so the top of the seed laying on its side was dry and I changed the water daily. I also kept the seeds in a corner on my counter with an incandescent lamp on them to keep the area warm since my house has been very cold this summer. The avocado seeds I started a month earlier didn’t show any signs of life until I put them in the warm corner.
Linda Barajas says
October 6, 2018 at 6:51 pmMy son sent me 6 mango plants. They have leaves, so I put them in dirt now? I live in Sparks NV so they will need to be indoor in the winter. What about summer? Indirect light? Thanks
René Serrao says
October 21, 2018 at 2:09 pmI am situated in Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, just on the coastal outskirts of Halifax, I have three Mango’s growing at my home. The first was started 2 and 1/2 years ago. It is now about 3ft tall, the second which is just passing it’s 1st birthday is getting close to 2ft high and Junior m about 6 months old is getting close to 12 inches tall.
pj says
February 10, 2019 at 10:57 pmmy 6ft tree has odd brown sposts on leaves. shall i remove the leaves. is it an infection of some sort?
Leonard Shelton says
May 8, 2019 at 11:00 amHelp! My Mango Tree Seedling is dying. I have pictures. Its basically a stick in soil now. If you think you can help please reply with your questions, and I will answer them all. Thank you so much. I can even point you to my Instagram and show you how healthy it was compared to how it looks now. Thank you so much!