Little Gem mango is a mango entry with research-backed characteristics summarized for easier comparison. Its documented origin is USA (Florida).
Mango Characteristics
Origin: USA (Florida) Flavor: Complex / Resinous Sweetness: Excellent Brix: 19.2 Sourness: None Fiber: None Fruit Size: Small Eaten Green: No Production: Excellent Season: Late Growth: Compact Disease Resistant: Good Tree Size: Dwarf Small-yard: Yes Container: Yes Seed Type: MonoembryonicBreeder/parentage notes: Little Gem is associated with the Zill breeding program and is believed to have Gary and Julie parentage. A compact, productive variety, it is especially promising for small yards and container-style mango collections with pruning.
Mangopedia Personal Experience
Little Gem was a delicious late-season mango in this Mangopedia tasting. The fruit measured 19.2 Brix, giving it strong sweetness without becoming overly sweet. Overall, it was juicy, sweet, smooth, and very enjoyable.
The flesh cut very smoothly and had a smooth, fiberless texture. The flavor included a clear resinous note, especially when eating closer to the skin. That resin character may be a positive for people who enjoy that style of mango flavor, though some tasters may prefer mangoes with less resin. In this tasting, the resinous note was part of what made the fruit appealing.
Little Gem is believed to come from Gary and Julie parentage and is associated with the Zill breeding program. Based on this tasting, the variety comes across as a very good eating mango with a sweet, juicy profile and a distinctive resin edge near the skin.
For growers, Little Gem appears especially useful as a compact and very productive tree. It should be a strong option for small yards, and Mangopedia has a graft of Little Gem growing because the variety is liked so much. For anyone with limited space who still wants a productive mango tree, Little Gem looks like a very good addition.
