Haiti’s name on the fruit box
Francique carries a Haitian identity far beyond the tree where it grew.
Francis — Haiti
A name on the map
Madame Francis, Francis and Francique are names used for this Haitian mango. Horticultural records document its importance to Haiti’s export trade, carrying a familiar local fruit into shops abroad.
Grower Walter Zill recalled encountering it on seed-collecting trips to Haiti and enjoying mature fruit there. That is a documented personal encounter, but it does not tell us who the original “Madame” was. We leave that tempting biographical story open instead of inventing a woman to fit the name.
The names it answers to
- Francis / Madame Francis
- Names used in English-language trade.
- Francique / Francisque
- Haitian and horticultural spellings recorded for the mango.