Mango Glossary

Self-compatibility is the ability of a plant's own pollen, or pollen from the same genotype, to contribute to successful fertilization. Many mango cultivars can set fruit without a different cultivar nearby, but actual cropping also depends on flower health, weather, pollinators, and tree condition. It is not a guarantee that every solitary tree will crop heavily. A second tree cannot correct poor drainage, damaged flowers, or an unsuitable climate merely by being present in the same yard.

The stigma is the receptive surface of a flower's female reproductive structure where pollen can land and begin the process leading to fertilization. In a mango's bisexual flower, its condition and receptivity are part of successful reproduction. Seeing pollen on a flower does not prove that a compatible pollen tube has reached an ovule. The term is useful when understanding pollination, but ordinary growers usually gain more from protecting flower health and insect visitors than from attempting to inspect every tiny stigma.