Richard Campbell with a jackfruit, another tropical fruit he loves.
If you live in Miami and you’ve got any interest in mangoes, then you’ve probably heard about Dr. Richard Campbell. He’s known to some as the “mango guy.” Officially, he’s the director of horticulture and senior curator of tropical fruit at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. And he’s all up in our faces at this time every year, sharing his passion for mangoes.
One reason Campbell loves mangoes is because they’re satisfying to grow:
“Mango trees are the best trees to grow because they respond to whatever you do. Whatever you give them, they respond in a proper horticultural way. So they’re pleasing. As a horticulturist, they make you very happy and that’s not true with every other tree.
“Any horticulturist has their favorite things to grow. For example, I don’t like to grow lychees.”
You can listen to my story about Richard Campbell’s preparation for the Mango Festival and share your own mango recipes at the Under the Sun website.
Will you be at the Mango Festival this weekend? If you’ve attended before, what’s your favorite part of the festival?
