I don't know about south, but they grow OK in Cairns (he says after having just shovelled up a wheelie bin full of fly-blown magotty, fallen fruit)

Hi Muzzbait, this one was done a while back now, i think we got to about Shell Harbour south of Sydney or somewhere there. But lets do it anyway and see if they are still out there. With Sydney and beyond getting warmer summers and winters (more importantly)its not impossible. Lets do it. Peter r.
P.S. If you need some more, we got plenty left, and they are SO NICE 2.

The old Mango is a pretty tough specimen. We dont get frosts here in Rocky, but it can get down to -2 in Winter, and I've seen them in Ipswich, which can get to -5. I believe that the key factor isnt temperature, but exposure to frost and whether or not the air is sufficiently humid.

My own specimen bore more fruit this year (after Rocky's second driest year on record) than the previous season, so they thrive on adversity. Macadamias are the same - put them under stress and they will give you nuts galore.

heh...of course they'd grow in rocky and cairns...they'd grow anywhere in qld, i'd say...

i wonder if they can be grown in victoria...that would be interesting...

sorry, but did you say they grow south of sydney, moreton? that would be awesome...

You'd be surprised, Muzz - towns like Toowoomba and Stanthorpe have a Winter thats more severe than Sydney's, and their gardens would be more in keeping with Canberra than Brisbane. Longtitude isnt everything.

Dead right, Artie, Longitude isn't everything, but Latitude is pretty important : )
Grant

I've seen one with one or two fruit in my Dad's neighbour's garden in Kew - how's that for south???????????
Tony

kew? man, THAT'S impressive...could you find out how the mago tree was propogated...was it from seed? tree? how many fruit do you get each year??? this is great news...

Mangoes grow pretty well here in mandurah and some friends of the family even have a mangoe plantation in Lake clifton which is even further south.

Muzz I've just planted a 1.5m Mango tree in my back yard here in Melbourne purchased from a local nursery here. Yes there are nurseries here that are selling Mango tree's. The variety is R2E2 which is more cold tolerant.
Louis

Yes, mangoes will grow perfectly happily in Sydney, even in suburbs that get a degree or two of frost, and it does not surprise me that they will grow in Melbourne, which I believe is virtually frost free in some parts (though average temps are lower than for Sydney).

But are they worth growing for fruit this far south? In my experience in Sydney they fruit sparsely, the developing fruit mostly drop prematurely, and they don't develop much sweetness or flavour. Maybe R2E2 is superior in these respects. And maybe global warming will help!

Your right about parts of Melb. being virtually frost free. Urban sprawl (heat retaining concrete in summer and lots of heaters in winter) is certainly helping.
Louis

Better late than never. Just in case anyone is still interested..... I have a 20 foot mango tree by the side of my house that is producing progressively more fruit each year. About 7 years old now. It is a Kensington Pride seedling. These, I believe, are preferable because seedlings are more adaptable to harsher climates and it is polyembryonic and hence produces true to type from seed. I live in Whyalla in SA and also have two other Bowen seedlings, an r2e2 and a Nam Doc Mai in a greenhouse.
Just for the record, there are a number of people in Adelaide in the Rare Fruit Society that have fruiting mango trees. Apparently there is also a huge specimen fruiting in Port Augusta. In my experience, A mature mango tree is as hardy as a lemon tree.

They are know to fruit in nortnern New Zealand too.

I migrated from India 5 years ago. I still havent been able to shake off the mantle of being a tropical plant lover and I dont think I ever will. I live in Melbourne and I would love to bring a bit of tropical flavour down here. So, I have started growing seedlings of tropical plants like Custard-Apple, Okra and Murraya Koenigii (Curryleaf). I am on the lookout for Tamarind (tamarindus Indica) Sapota (Manilkara Zapota) and Papaya (pawa-paw to some of you). To grow these plants successfuly and produce some fruit is my Holy Grail for the next 3 to 4 years !

Hi Luise

Could you please tell me the name of your local nursery where you got your mango trees ? I would love to try growing a mango tree in my garden.

The best bet for your climate would probably be to go to the local supermarket, buy half a dozen nice sized KP's, eat them and plant the seed.
Alternatively, Source a seedling KP that has been grown to about 1m and plant it in protected spot early in Autumn. Provide it with a shade cloth barrier on all sides and over top until it is about 2m tall and with a similar spread. This will shield it from the heat and cold winds.

Southeast Asian types like Manila or Autalfo should do very well in Melbourne.