Gary

Gary is thought to be a cross between the Carrie and Pettigrew cultivars, and was selected by the Zill family of Boynton Beach in the 1970s as a random seedling. It has the distinction of being a pollen parent of many of Gary Zill's hybrids selected in the last several decades, likely including Coconut Cream, Pineapple Pleasure, Pina Colada, Seacrest, Orange Essence, Honey Kiss, Cotton Candy, M-4, 40-26, and others. It is also the paternal parent of P-22.

 

The fruit is on the small size, oval in shape. It has a soft fiberless flesh with very distinctive coconut and citrus combination flavor likely inherited from the Pettigrew, some describing it as a Pina Colada flavor, with a super high degree of sweetness to go with it. The seed is polyembryonic.

 

Along the coast it will turn yellow when ripe but when grown inland it stays green. 

 

The trees are moderately vigorous growers with dense canopies. The flowers and young fruit are highly fungus prone, and probably only suitable for growing near the coast. Gary trees also tend to often produce too many male flowers, which can limit fruit set for many. Our's often flowers twice and usually sets fruit better on the second bloom. Despite being prone to anthracnose and powdery mildew, Gary is quite resistant to mango bacterial black spot and has passed that trait down to most of its progeny.

 

Gary is a mid-season variety in south Florida, usually ripening for us in July. It is truly one of our favorite fruits!