Rare Mango Varieties Guide: Cotton Candy, Pineapple Pleasure, Lemon Zest and More

October 11, 2026

Rare Mango Varieties Guide: Cotton Candy, Pineapple Pleasure, Lemon Zest and More

If the only mangoes you know are the hard red-and-green ones at the grocery store, this post is for you. I'm Chris Haynes. Of the 29 varieties I grow on Merritt Island, Florida, these 19 are the ones you'll almost never see in a store. Most of them came out of one backyard breeding program in Palm Beach County. A few came from Thailand and Myanmar. All of them taste nothing like a supermarket mango.

I've cited a source for every origin and flavor claim below. Where I couldn't find a reliable source for something, I left it out.

Where Most Rare Florida Mangoes Come From: Gary Zill

Many of the most exciting new Florida mangoes come from Gary Zill of Zill High Performance Plants in Boynton Beach. A 2025 presentation by Zill and UF/IFAS horticulturist Jonathan Crane says Zill has been selecting new mangoes for more than 33 years. He pre-screened over 10,000 seedlings by the aroma of their young leaves. His goal was mangoes with "more intense and more interesting Southeast Asian- and Indian-like aromas and flavors." The same presentation counts about 40 relatively new cultivars from his program. Thirteen of the varieties in this guide are among them. [1]

The Citrus Family: Lemon Meringue, Lemon Zest and Orange Sherbet

Lemon Meringue is the parent of this group, and it isn't a Zill mango. Its original name is Po Pyu Kalay, and UF/IFAS says it originated in Myanmar. The pulp is fiberless and pale yellow to yellow, with "a rich sweet citrus-like flavor of excellent quality." [2] It ripens June–July on our trees.

Lemon Zest is Zill selection 27-1, grown from a Lemon Meringue seedling. [3] The Zill/UF presentation describes medium-large fruit of 14–16 oz with yellow, fiberless flesh and "a rich, sweet, moderately intense Indian flavor profile with lemon, orange-citrus notes," at 12.3–15.9° Brix. [1] It ripens July–August here.

Orange Sherbet is another Lemon Meringue seedling from Zill (planting G-32), which makes it a sibling of Lemon Zest. Tropical Acres Farms describes orange, fiberless flesh with "a strong, complex orange-citrus candy flavor." [4] The Zill/UF presentation calls it sweet with "an excellent tart sherbert-like" flavor at 17.3–19.8° Brix. [1]

The Dessert Mangoes: Cotton Candy, Juicy Peach and Fruit Cocktail

Cotton Candy came out of Zill's program as a Keitt seedling, possibly pollinated by Gary. It was released in 2016. Tropical Acres Farms calls it one of the finest-flavored selections from the project. Its flavor is "extremely sweet and robust," in the classic group, with yellow, fiberless flesh. [4]

Juicy Peach is Zill planting F-29, reportedly a Tommy Atkins seedling that may have had Gary as its pollen parent. [4] One nursery describes the fruit as fiberless and very soft, with citrus and peach flavors and good taste, though it doesn't keep long. [5] It ripens in July on our trees and runs about 12–18 oz.

Fruit Cocktail is Zill selection 28-18, grown from a Jakarta seedling. [4] The Zill/UF presentation describes small-to-medium fruit (8–12 oz) with aromatic, fiberless pulp and "a rich, intense sweet Indian flavor profile." [1]

The Tropical Punch: Pineapple Pleasure, Sweet Tart and Venus

Pineapple Pleasure is Zill planting 23-21, a cross between Springfels and Gary. [4] The Zill/UF presentation describes a "moderately intense Indian sweet-tart flavor; acidity balanced with sweet pineapple notes." [1] Tropical Acres Farms has measured fruit in the mid-20s on the Brix scale. [4] It ripens in July here.

Sweet Tart is a Zill seedling of Zill Indochinese (planting C-1). It's small and yellow, with orange, fiberless flesh. [4] The Zill/UF presentation describes "a complex tart to very sweet intense Southeastern Asian flavor profile" that gets stronger the longer the fruit stays on the tree. [1] Ours ripen in June.

Venus is Sweet Tart's sibling, another Zill Indochinese seedling (planting 33-10). Tropical Acres Farms describes firm, fiberless, light yellow flesh with "a decadent and complex mix of sweetness and acidity." [4] On Merritt Island it's one of our latest mangoes, ripening in September.

Indian-Style Flavor: Giselle, Super Alphonso, Little Gem and O-15

Giselle is Zill planting 35-6, a seedling of a mango called Tower. It's named after Gary Zill's wife. Tropical Acres Farms describes very juicy, dark yellow-orange flesh with an Indian/West Indian flavor that "tastes like an outstanding Graham mango." [4]

Super Alphonso started out as Zill selection 36-8. It was first called "India," was grown from a Zill-80 seedling, and may have had Jakarta as its pollen parent. Tropical Acres Farms notes a hint of Indian spice. They're also honest that it "does not taste like Alphonso." [4] The Zill/UF presentation rates its flavor as intense. [1]

Little Gem is Zill planting 29-26, a Julie seedling. Tropical Acres Farms describes small, round fruit with firm, fiber-free flesh, "a very nice medium bodied Indian/West Indian-type flavor," and outstanding disease resistance. [4] It ripens in July on our trees.

O-15 is a Zill seedling of Jakarta. Tropical Acres Farms describes fiberless, yellow, firm flesh with a flavor that "can be highly resinous, reminiscent of Jakarta but probably sweeter." The fruit tends to ripen over a very short span of just a couple of weeks. [4]

Big and Late: Harvest Moon, All Summer, M-4 and Orange Essence

Harvest Moon is Zill planting 4-20, an Edward seedling. Tropical Acres Farms reports fruit that can weigh more than 3 pounds, with firm, sweet flesh in the classic-flavor group and notes of plum. [4] The Zill/UF presentation adds a "sweet-tart, rich Indian flavor profile" and Brix readings of 13.9–18.9°. [1]

All Summer first went by the name Marlys, after Gary Zill's sister. It's a Zill-80 seedling (planting DW-10) that was later renamed for its long season. Tropical Acres Farms describes yellow, fiberless flesh and "a classic Florida mango flavor that we find similar to Kent, with notes of stone fruit." [4] Ours ripen July–August.

M-4 is a Zill Keitt seedling, probably pollinated by Gary. Tropical Acres Farms places its strong flavor "in the coconut group" and describes light-colored, soft, fiberless flesh. In South Florida it is very late, ripening August through September. [4]

Orange Essence is Zill planting 40-33, a Kent seedling. Tropical Acres Farms describes an intensely rich, Gary-type citrus flavor with terrific sweetness. They note that it's distinct from the citrus of Lemon Meringue and its descendants. [4] The Zill/UF presentation lists Brix readings of 13.8–19.6°. [1]

Classic Florida: Edgar

Edgar is also from Zill's program. It was once thought to be an Edward × Gary cross, which is where the name "Ed-Gar" comes from. Tropical Acres Farms now considers it more likely a Zill-80 seedling. The flesh is fiberless but quite firm, with "a very high quality classic subacid-type flavor." [6] It ripens in June here.

From Thailand: Pram Kai Mea

Pram Kai Mea is a Thai mango, also spelled Brahm Kai Meu. [7] Pine Island Nursery says it is "revered for its excellent flavor while green and unripe," when it's "sweet and crunchy as an apple." [8] Fully ripe, it's sweet and fiberless. [7] It ripens in June on our trees, at about 8–14 oz per fruit.

FAQ

What is a Zill mango?

It's a mango selected through Gary Zill's breeding program at Zill High Performance Plants in Boynton Beach, Florida. He set out to breed mangoes with more intense Southeast Asian- and Indian-style aromas and flavors. [1]

Does Cotton Candy mango really taste like cotton candy?

It's named for its sweetness more than an actual cotton-candy flavor. Tropical Acres Farms calls it "extremely sweet and robust," in the classic flavor group. [4]

What is the difference between Lemon Meringue and Lemon Zest?

Lemon Meringue (Po Pyu Kalay) comes from Myanmar. [2] Lemon Zest is a Zill seedling of Lemon Meringue. It's larger fruit, 14–16 oz, with lemon and orange-citrus notes. [1][3]

Does Super Alphonso taste like Alphonso?

No. Tropical Acres Farms says it "does not taste like Alphonso" and describes a Zill-80-like flavor with a hint of Indian spice. [4]

Can you eat Pram Kai Mea green?

Yes. In Thailand it's often eaten green, when it's sweet and crunchy. [7][8]

Do you ship rare mangoes to every state?

We ship to the lower 48, except California and Arizona. All rare varieties are sold by pre-order.

Taste Something You Can't Buy at the Store

Rare mangoes come from a small number of trees and have short seasons, so they sell out first. Pre-order your favorites on merrittislandmangoes.com to reserve a box from the 2027 Merritt Island harvest.

— Chris Haynes, Merritt Island Mangoes