Florence named the fruit he never saw
A widow’s decision helped turn one garden seedling into a mango dynasty.
Haden — Coconut Grove, Florida, United States
Documented history
In 1902, Captain John Haden planted dozens of seeds from Mulgoba fruit obtained from Elbridge Gale in West Palm Beach. Haden died before the promising seedling fruited. In 1910, his widow Florence recognised the fruit and gave it the family name.
Haden became a foundation of Florida’s commercial mango growing, and many later selections descend from it. Its legacy includes the many varieties that followed. This is a story of a person tending a tree long enough for someone else’s hope to bear fruit.
The names it answers to
- Haden
- The Haden family surname, chosen by Florence Haden.
- Mulgoba
- The recorded seed parent; a parent name, not an alias for Haden.