Freeze Damage: Mango, Mangifera indica L.

My prized mango tree (Mangifera indica L.) is struggling to survive this long, cold winter. We are now forecast to have 3 more close-to-freezing nights starting tonight, and then another hard freeze next week (below 28 F.). . . so the mango tree is on its own. If it can survive it will have to do so without my assistance.

Before the freeze the mango tree was about 30' tall and covered with blooms, as pictured below.
BELOW: 1 day after the first hard freeze the canopy of the mango was looking brown and burnt.
BELOW: A week after the first hard freeze the damage is obvious.


BELOW: Taking a look inside the canopy one can see there are still green leaves and green branches. The tree is not dead. The only strategy at this point is to leave everything as it is. . .until warm weather returns and the plants sprout.

This particular specimen froze to the ground in 2003 and over the years has recovered nicely. We'll have to hope that occurs again. Last year was its first producing year after the 2003 freeze. . .which by-the-way was nothing compared to this year's persistent ice, freezes, frost. . .

The scientific gardener will resist the urge to trim off all the dead branches and leaves. Trimming freeze damaged plants now will only make it tougher for the plants to survive the coming freezes next week.

If all else fails. . . I have a sister to this mango in a pot. . . and I carefully move her inside every time the temperatures are to fall below 40 F. In the spring, the sister will go in a much larger pot. . .but in a pot she'll stay. . .so in future freeze we may move her to a safer location.