The Spirit of '76' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.
History The original tree was grown on the property of Laurence Zill of Boynton Beach, Florida and was reportedly a seedling of the Zill cultivar that had been open cross pollinated with Haden. It received its name for having first fruited during the US bicentennial celebrations. A 2005 pedigree analysis estimated that Spirit of '76 was indeed a Haden × Zill cross.
Though Spirit of '76 did not gain commercial acceptance due to its soft flesh, it has been propagated as nursery stock and sold on a limited basis as a dooryard tree for home growers in Florida.
Spirit of '76 trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami, Florida,http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/display.pl?1554808 USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. and the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park in Homestead, Florida.
Description The fruit is oblong in shape, with a rounded base and rounded apex that sometimes has a small lateral beak. It averages about a pound in weight at maturity. The skin color is yellow with red blush, and the flesh is yellow in color. It is completely fiberless with a rich, aromatic flavor, and contains a monoembryonic seed. The fruit ripen from June to July in Florida.
The trees are moderately vigorous growers with spreading canopies.
See also List of mango cultivars
References