Mango leaves have no scientific name of their own. The tree is called Mangifera indica, so botanists simply say the leaf of Mangifera indica. In Hindi, aam ka vaigyanik naam gives the same answer, and aam, amba and mango all name one tree.
The scientific name of the mango tree
People often ask for the scientific name of mango leaves. Botanically, a leaf is a part of the plant, so it is named after the plant. The mango tree is Mangifera indica, and that is the name to use whether you mean the tree, the fruit, the leaf or the wood. Mango is produced by the tropical tree Mangifera indica, and the species is native to South Asia.
If a school worksheet or a plant database asks for the scientific name of aam, write Mangifera indica. The genus name is written with a capital letter, the species name with a small letter, and both are written in italics. If you cannot use italics, underline them.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Mangifera indica |
| Common names | Mango (English), aam (Hindi), amba (Marathi) |
| Leaf type | Evergreen, alternate, simple |
| Leaf size | About 15 to 35 cm long and 6 to 16 cm broad |
| Young leaf colour | Orange-pink, then dark glossy red, then dark green |
| Tree height | Mango trees grow to roughly 30 to 40 m tall |
These figures come from the Wikipedia entry on the mango. Trees in orchards are usually pruned much lower, so you will rarely see a fruit-bearing tree at full height.
What Mangifera indica means
The name has two parts. Mangifera is the genus, the group of related plants. indica is the species name, and it points to India, where the mango has been grown for a very long time. Other species in the genus Mangifera also produce edible fruits called mangoes, and most of them are found in the Malesian region of South-East Asia.
Many names for the fruit travel across languages. The English word mango comes from the Portuguese manga, which came from Malayalam, and the root is the Tamil man plus kay, meaning mango fruit. In the same way, Alphonso is a name for a cultivar, not a species. It is named after Afonso de Albuquerque. Every Alphonso tree is still Mangifera indica, as are Kesar, Totapuri and Dasheri trees. That is why the scientific name does not tell you which variety you are looking at.
What a mango leaf looks like
A mango leaf is long, narrow and leathery, with a pointed tip and a stalk. Leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple and typically 15 to 35 cm long. That is why a mango tree stays green all year, even when it drops old leaves a few at a time.
- Young leaves: orange-pink, soft and flexible, then a dark glossy red.
- Mature leaves: dark green, firm and slightly shiny on the upper side.
- Shape: long oval to lance-shaped, with a clear central vein and smaller side veins.
Leaf shape differs a little from tree to tree, and age and growing conditions change it too. For that reason, leaves alone are a poor guide to the variety. You can identify a variety far more reliably from the fruit and from what a seller can tell you about where it was grown. Our guide to the mango tree height and the page on mango tree lifespan cover the rest of the tree.
Aam, amba and mango: names for one tree
Across India the same tree has many names. Aam is the common Hindi name, and amba is used in Marathi. Our fruit is sold as Hapus or Alphonso, and both words describe one cultivar from the Konkan coast. When you search in Hindi, aam ka scientific name, aam ka vaigyanik naam and aam ka botanical name all lead to the same answer: Mangifera indica.
Why does this matter? A scientific name is the same worldwide, so a researcher, a farmer and a customs officer can all be sure they mean one plant. It also helps when you read a study or a plant label from another country.
Mango leaves in festivals and rituals
Mango leaves have a long place in Indian ritual life. Mango flowers and leaves are used in the worship of the goddess Saraswati at the spring festival of Vasant Panchami, and the leaves are used as decorations in celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi. In many homes, fresh leaves are also strung across doorways at festivals and weddings, and are placed on a kalash during puja.
If you use fresh leaves for a festival, choose healthy, green, undamaged leaves and wash them before use. After the puja, put the leaves in compost rather than leaving them in water.
Leaves, sap and safety
Contact with the oils in mango leaves, stems, sap and skin can cause dermatitis in susceptible people, and in rare cases serious allergic reactions. If you handle many leaves or cut fruit and your skin itches or reddens, wash with water and stop. Seek medical advice if the reaction is strong or if your lips or tongue swell.
You may see mango leaf tea, powders and home remedies described online. Some are traditional uses, and the research on them is limited. We do not offer mango leaf products, and we do not make health claims for the leaves. If you want to use them for any health reason, ask your doctor or a qualified practitioner first, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a long-term condition.
We have separate pages for those who want to read more about mango leaves, mango leaves tea, and the wider mango leaf health claims. Please read them as general information, not advice.
From the leaf to the fruit
The leaf is the tree's food factory, and the fruit grows on the same tree. We source Alphonso from 48 villages across the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt on the Konkan coast, a stretch of the western coast of India between the Arabian Sea and the Deccan Plateau. Ratnagiri is a district, and Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district.
Our fruit carries the GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), which you can read about on our AlphonsoMango.in brand facts. We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. Alphonso is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May, and the 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027.
Outside the season we do not sell fresh Alphonso. Our ready-to-use Alphonso pulp is available all year, from Rs 590. In season, see Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango or the full mango collection. A dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade, with prices from Rs 1,849.
People also ask
What is the scientific name of mango leaves?
Mango leaves have no scientific name of their own, because a leaf takes the name of its plant. The mango tree is Mangifera indica, so a mango leaf is the leaf of Mangifera indica. Aam, amba and mango are common names for the same tree.
What is aam ka scientific name?
Aam ka scientific name, or aam ka vaigyanik naam, is Mangifera indica. Mangifera is the genus, and indica points to India, where the species is native. Alphonso, Kesar and Dasheri are cultivars of this single species, so they all share the same scientific name.
What do mango leaves look like?
Mango leaves are evergreen, simple and long, about 15 to 35 cm in length and 6 to 16 cm wide. Young leaves are orange-pink and turn dark glossy red before becoming dark green. Mature leaves are leathery and shiny, with a clear central vein.
Are mango leaves safe to touch or eat?
Most people handle mango leaves without trouble, but the oils in the leaves and sap can cause dermatitis in susceptible people. We do not recommend eating the leaves or using them as a remedy without advice from your doctor, particularly if you take medicines or are pregnant.
Related searches
- Mango leaves and their uses
- Benefits of mango leaves
- Mango leaves tea
- Mango leaves and mango leaf names
- Mango tree height
- Mango tree lifespan
- Buy Ratnagiri Alphonso mango
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Mango.
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
- Wikipedia, Konkan.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.
How our mangoes are grown and ripened
Naturally grown. Naturally ripened. Checked with science. AlphonsoMango.in fruit comes from family orchards and 120+ partner farmers in 80+ villages along the Konkan coast, each near the sea or an estuary.
- Naturally grown, not certified organic: our farming SOP allows no synthetic fertiliser and no chemical pesticide. Farmers use farm-made inputs such as jeevamrutha, panchagavya and neem extract.
- Hand harvested before dawn: picked with a Nutan pole; trees are never shaken.
- Checked twice: 15 to 20% of fruit is rejected at the orchard and a further 18 to 20% after ripening.
- Naturally ripened on hay beds: no calcium carbide, ever, and no ethylene gas added.
- Residue-tested: by an independent NABL lab, within Codex limits.
Read the full details on our Brand Facts and Our Farmers pages.
