Zill (mango)

The 'Zill' mango is a named mango cultivar that originated in south Florida.

History

The original tree reportedly grew from a 'Haden' seed planted in 1922 by Carl King of Lake Worth, Florida. A 2005 pedigree analysis estimated that 'Zill' may have been a cross between 'Haden' and 'Bombay'. The tree later came into the possession of Laurence H. Zill, a horticulturalist and nursery owner whose family name the cultivar was named after. The tree first fruited in 1930, and 'Zill' began to be propagated by Lawrence Zill in 1940. The cultivar was named and described in 1945.

Thereafter 'Zill' became heavily propagated due to its color, eating quality, and good production. It was planted commercially and widely sold as nurserystock. While it fell out of favor as a commercial mango due to poor storage characteristics, 'Zill' is now commercially grown in Africa and is still sold as a dooryard tree for home growers in Florida.

'Zill' trees are planted in the collections of the USDA's germplasm repository in Miami, Florida, the University of Florida's Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, Florida, and the Miami-Dade Fruit and Spice Park, also in Homestead.