Mango

In a mango grove at Mujibnagar in 1971, the first government of independent Bangladesh was sworn in.

An evergreen tree growing to 30 m, with a dense, domed crown and lance-shaped leaves that are coppery red when young. In early spring it is covered in panicles of tiny flowers, and from May to July the fruit ripens – juicy drupes with yellow flesh. The species comes from a region that includes present-day Bangladesh, among others, and has been grown here for thousands of years in orchards and beside every homestead. The wood is used for furniture and boats, and unripe fruit for pickles and cooking.

Significance in the country

The mango tree was declared the national tree of Bangladesh in 2010; the provisional government was sworn in in a mango grove at Mujibnagar on 17 April 1971, and the national anthem mentions the scent of mango groves.

Where it grows

Grows beside houses and in orchards throughout the country; the largest orchards are in Rajshahi Division, especially in the districts of Chapai Nawabganj and Rajshahi, known as the “mango capital”.

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