The mango season just kicked off a couple weeks ago and one of the most beloved fruits is now available in abundance at the Napili Farmers Market for a few months. We carry mangoes grown in Kihei on the South Shore, and in Lahaina, on the West Side of Maui.

We love mangoes so much, that's why we'd like to share 10 interesting facts with you about this amazing plant!

1. Mangoes are originally indigenous to India where they were grown over 5000 years ago.

2. Mango seeds traveled with humans from Asia to the Middle East, East Africa and South America beginning around 300 or 400 A.D. and they are now grown throughout the tropics, including Hawaii.

3. Besides the three most consumed varieties in the US (Francis, Haden and Tommy Atkins), there are over 2,000 different varieties of mangoes ranging in size from a few ounces to as much as four pounds and ranging in color from yellow, orange and red to green.

4. Most of the mangos sold in the U.S. come from Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Guatemala and Haiti. Tropical and sub-tropical countries produce 20 million metric tons of mangoes every year.

5. An evergreen mango tree can grow as tall as 100 feet and live as long as 300 years.

6. Mangos are related to cashews and pistachios.

7. Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh.

8. They are all an excellent source of vitamins C and E, niacin, potassium, iron, and beta carotene.

9. Although mangoes are still considered to be exotic fruits in North America, ranking as number 24 of the top 25 fruits consumed in the US, they are considered to be staples in India, South Asia, China and Latin America.

10. As a matter of fact mango is the most consumed fruit in the world.