A mango orchard, also called a grove, is a plantation of mango trees. Mangoes grow in frost-free tropical and warm subtropical climates, and India produces about 43% of the world's supply. Alphonso grows on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, in Ratnagiri and Devgad.
What a mango orchard is
A mango orchard, or mango grove, is a piece of land planted with mango trees for fruit. Some groves are old plantations of tall trees, and some are newer orchards with closely planted, smaller trees. The trees are large. A mango tree can grow 30 to 40 metres tall, and some specimens still fruit after 300 years.
People often ask how many mango trees fit on an acre. There is no single number, because it depends on the variety and the planting system. Old Konkan groves are spaced wide apart, and modern orchards plant closer. We are not an orchard-planning service, so if you are planning a plantation, ask your state horticulture department.
Orchard, grove, plantation and amrai: the words people use
The terms overlap, and nobody enforces a strict definition. An orchard is land planted with fruit trees, and a plantation usually means a larger commercial block. A grove often suggests an older, more natural stand of trees. In Marathi and Hindi a mango grove is commonly called an amrai (आमराई). If you search for a mango orchard near you, a shop or a farm stay may use any of these words for the same kind of place.
Whatever the name, the same rule applies to buying the fruit. Ask where it was grown and how it was ripened, and treat a pretty photograph of trees as decoration, not proof.
Where mangoes grow in the world
The mango is cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates. India leads world production with about 43% of the total, followed by Indonesia and China. The 2023 figure was about 26.2 million tonnes for India out of 61.1 million tonnes worldwide, though those FAO numbers also include mangosteens and guavas.
The fruit has a long history on the subcontinent. Emperor Akbar is recorded as planting a mango orchard of 100,000 trees near Darbhanga, Bihar. The word mango itself comes from the Portuguese manga, which came from Malayalam, and the mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Where mangoes grow in India
Mangoes are grown across many Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Each region is known for its own varieties, and the fruit you taste in Lucknow is not the fruit of Junagadh or the Konkan.
| Mango | Associated region | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alphonso (Hapus) | Konkan, Maharashtra | Ratnagiri and Devgad Alphonso fall under GI No. 139 |
| Kesar | Gir and Junagadh, Gujarat | Said to have been grown in 1931 by the Junagadh Wazir Sale Bhai |
| Dasheri | Uttar Pradesh | A North Indian variety |
| Totapuri | South India | Widely used for pulp |
Most named Indian cultivars are monoembryonic and are propagated by grafting, not by sowing the seed. That is how a particular variety stays true. Mango grafting was introduced in Portuguese Goa by Jesuit missionaries, and the Alphonso variety is named after Afonso de Albuquerque.
Where Alphonso grows: the Konkan
The Konkan is a stretch of the western coast of India between the Arabian Sea and the Deccan Plateau, and Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are among its districts. Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district, and Ratnagiri is a district in its own right. Alphonso grown here is the fruit the Alphonso GI covers. Records show Konkan districts including Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Raigad in the GI applications.
We source from 48 villages across the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), and the details are on our Brand Facts page. Read more about the region in our guide on where Alphonso mangoes are grown and in Alphonso, the jewel of the Konkan.
The mango tree, from flower to fruit
The fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripening, which is why the Alphonso crop is harvested from about February to June, with the best supply from March to May. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Weather in the flowering months can change a crop, so no orchard owner can promise a harvest date in advance.
Alphonso fruits generally weigh 150 to 300 g, and the pulp is described as rich, creamy and non-fibrous. Alphonso can develop spongy tissue, an internal flesh disorder. ICAR-IIHR research traced it to the seed shifting into germination mode at about 60% fruit maturity. That is a reason fruit is graded before it is sold.
Cashew, the other Konkan crop
Mango is not the only tree crop on the Konkan and Goa coast. Cashew grows there too. The cashew nut is the true fruit and grows at the end of the cashew apple. The seed sits inside a double shell that contains an allergenic phenolic resin, so the nut is eaten only after it has been shelled and roasted or steamed.
We sell cashew in several forms, including cashew with skin. We also sell chia seeds, though chia is not a Konkan crop.
How the fruit leaves the orchard
Our fruit is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net, and harvest is done at Brahma Muhurta, before dawn. The net catches each fruit as it is cut, so it does not fall to the ground and bruise. We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds. Mango ripening with calcium carbide gas is prohibited in India under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
We dispatch by Blue Dart, and about 65% of Indian PIN codes get next-day delivery. Check your PIN code at checkout. Fresh Alphonso is not sold outside the season, but the Alphonso Mango Pulp Tin is available all year. More than 47,000 customers, including offline and marketplace sales, have bought from us since 2019.
Shop the mangoes mentioned here
People also ask
Where do mangoes grow?
Mangoes grow in frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates. India leads production with about 43% of the world total, followed by Indonesia and China. Within India, mangoes are grown in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Where is Alphonso mango grown in India?
Alphonso is grown on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra, in the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district, and Ratnagiri is a district. Alphonso from this region falls under GI No. 139. We source our fruit from 48 villages there.
What is a mango orchard called?
A mango orchard is also called a mango grove or mango plantation. It is a piece of land planted with mango trees for fruit. Old Konkan groves have tall, widely spaced trees, and a mango tree can grow 30 to 40 metres tall.
How long does a mango tree live?
A mango tree can live for a very long time. Some specimens still bear fruit after 300 years. A single fruit takes four to five months from flowering to ripening. Most orchard trees are grafted so that the variety stays true to type.
Related searches
- Where are Alphonso mangoes grown
- Alphonso, the jewel of the Konkan
- Indian mango varieties
- How many mango varieties in India
- Ratnagiri Alphonso mango
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- Cashew with skin
- Mango collection
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia, Mango, accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Konkan, accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango, accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cashew, accessed October 2026.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.