Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is African Bush Mango (Irvingia gabonensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called African bush mango, dika nut, wild mango.

More about african bush mango

About African Bush Mango

Irvingia gabonensis · also called African bush mango, dika nut · edible

African bush mango is a tropical West African canopy tree grown for its mango-like fruit and prized oil-rich dika nut, ground into 'ogbono' for thickening soups. It demands constant warmth, deep fertile soil and high humidity, fruiting only in true tropical or large heated-glasshouse conditions. It is frost-tender and slow to bear, typically 4 to 6 years from seed.

Cold limit: USDA 11-12 (frost-tender; glasshouse-only in US/UK) · RHS H1a (21-32°C)

Watch for — Cold damage: Any frost or temperatures near freezing kill foliage and can kill the tree; keep above 12°C year-round.

What african bush mango's hardiness rating actually means

African Bush Mango is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1a means: Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever. On the US scale that maps to USDA 11-12 (frost-tender; glasshouse-only in US/UK) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). African Bush Mango has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for african bush mango as it gets too cold:

Below about above about 15 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can african bush mango go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when african bush mango can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1a figure above.

African Bush Mango hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is african bush mango cold hardy?

African Bush Mango is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. African Bush Mango can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 11-12 (frost-tender; glasshouse-only in US/UK)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature african bush mango can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly above about 15 °C (warm, never cold). African Bush Mango has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is african bush mango?

African Bush Mango is rated USDA 11-12 (frost-tender; glasshouse-only in US/UK) and RHS H1a — Tropical — needs a heated room or greenhouse; no frost tolerance whatsoever.

Can african bush mango survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above above 15 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to african bush mango below its minimum temperature?

Below about above about 15 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.