Mangifera indica, commonly known as the mango after its fruit, is an evergreen species of flowering plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is a large fruit tree, capable of growing to a height and width of 30 m (100 ft). There are two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoes – the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".

Mangifera indica is a large green tree, valued mainly for its fruits, both green and ripe. Approximately 500–1000 varieties have been identified, named, or reported, primarily in India. It can grow up to 15–30 metres (50–100 feet) tall with a similar crown width and a trunk circumference of more than 3.7 m (12 ft). The leaves are simple, shiny and dark green. The trees take 2–4 years from planting time to first harvest, and can have a productive life of over 50 years.

Yellow-white fragrant flowers appear at the end of winter through the beginning of spring, varying with location. Both male and female flowers are borne on the same tree. Climatic conditions have a significant influence on the time of flowering. In India, flowering starts in December in the south, in January in Bengal, in February in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and in February–March in northern India. The duration of flowering is 20–25 days for the Dasheri variety, while panicle emergence occurs in early December and flower opening is completed by February. The Neelum variety produces two crops a year in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, but it flowers only once in North Indian conditions.

The mango is an irregular, egg-shaped fruit which is a fleshy drupe. Mangos are typically 8–12 centimetres (3–5 inches) long and greenish yellow in color. The fruits can be round, oval, heart, or kidney shaped. Mango fruits are green when they are unripe. The interior flesh is bright orange and soft with a large, flat pit in the middle. Mangos are mature in April and May. Raw mangos can be used in the making of pickles and chutneys. Ripe mangos are a popular fruit throughout the world. The skin and pulp account for 85% of the mango's weight, and the remaining 15% comes from the stone (seed).

Mangiferin (a pharmacologically active hydroxylated xanthone C-glycoside) is extracted from mango at high concentrations from the young leaves (172 g/kg), bark (107 g/kg), and from old leaves (94 g/kg). Allergenic urushiols are present in the fruit peel.

Mangoes are believed to have originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, eastern and northeastern India. M. indica were domesticated separately in India and Southeast Asia over centuries, resulting in two distinct genetic populations in modern mangoes – the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type".

The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1753.

Since their domestication in southeastern Asia, mangoes have been introduced to other warm regions of the world. Generally, mango trees can withstand a minimum temperature of 17 °F (−8 °C).