Lucknow man grows single mango tree with 11 varieties
Lucknow: For 60-year-old Anup Kumar Bajpai, mangoes have always been more than fruit. The memory of sneaking two mangoes as a child and hiding behind a water tank to eat them is something he still laughs about. Decades later, that fondness has grown into something extraordinary — a single mango tree in his Lucknow home that bears 11 different varieties on one trunk.
After retiring on March 31, 2026 as Additional Municipal Commissioner with the Uttar Pradesh municipal administration, Anup devoted himself fully to the passion he had carried for 32 years.
From Dussehri to 11 varieties
In 2010, Anup planted two Dussehri saplings at his home. Years later, when his father, now 92, was advised by doctors to limit mango intake due to kidney issues, Anup wanted “that one mango a day to be the very best.”
Inspired by grafting techniques from Malihabad, he began attaching shoots of different varieties to the Dussehri tree. With help from experienced grafters, and after several failed attempts, the tree began producing multiple varieties.
Today, the tree yields Ambika, Sensation, Dussehri, Ramkela, Mallika, Khas-ul-Khas, Surkha Verma, Husnara, Amrapali, Neelam, and Kesar. Each ripens at a different time, stretching the mango season over weeks.
“Mallika is my favourite because of its flavour. It has a lovely sweetness with a slight tang,” Anup says. The tree produces 800 kg to 1 tonne of mangoes annually — enough for 30 to 40 families.
The unusual tree has become a local attraction. Neighbours, friends, and gardening enthusiasts visit every summer to taste and compare varieties.
