Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), was a kind, barefoot pioneer who loved nature. In the early 1800s, he walked thousands of miles across the Midwest, not just scattering seeds, but carefully planting fenced nurseries to provide settlers with apple trees for cider and food. He often gave trees away or traded them for clothes, becoming an American legend of generosity.
Englewood has its own version of Johnny Appleseed, and her name is English Jan. Instead of apples, she is giving away mango trees.
Have you ever wanted a free mango tree? Well, you’re not alone. Angel Land Food Forest, Inc., that’s English Jan’s 501c3 nonprofit right here in Englewood, gave away 100 beautiful, grafted, fiber-less mango trees (7-gallon size). No catches, no tricky fine print. They just want to see mangoes popping up all over town.
English Jan spread the word, and the 100 mango trees were snapped up in one day.
To be eligible this year, Angel Land Food Forest’s requirements were simple:
– You’ve got to be a full-time resident.
– Your house must be owner-occupied (no renters, sorry).
– You live in 34223 or 34224.
– If you’re a church or a business in those zip codes and you own your land, you can get a bigger 15-gallon tree—nice, right?
– Just plant your tree anywhere on your property and send them a photo once it’s in the ground. It allows their donors to see where their generosity is blooming.
Now that all 100 mango trees have been claimed, the trees will be ready in May to collect in downtown Englewood.
English Jan has been dreaming of spreading mangoes and maybe even bringing an annual Mango Festival to town for many years. Since 2017, Angel Land Food Forest has been collecting bakery goods and distributing them to area food pantries, but in 2021, someone asked about fresh produce. Mango trees seemed like the answer. Since then, they’ve handed out around 500 trees.
At first, folks planted them in their front yards, with little signs that said, “I’m a community mango tree.”
But after hurricanes ripped through and people lost trees, they decided recipients could plant them wherever they wanted, just promising to care for them and share the fruit when they could.
“We learned a few things, too,” says Jan. “Only full-timers, not snowbirds. Owner-occupied, not rentals. Trees need love—mainly, water when you first plant them.”
Pro tip from English Jan: don’t dig too deep. Keep the tree a smidge higher than ground level. It’s better for their health.
“We’ve worked with local churches, businesses, and homes,” explains Jan. “Mango Bistro has one of our trees out front. If you plant it, you own it. These aren’t for the public to pick, but we ask you to share the mangoes with friends, neighbors, or community spaces.”
Their trees are special. All fiber-less, with varieties you won’t believe. Coconut cream actually tastes like coconut! Pineapple Pleasure tastes like, you guessed it, pineapple. There are over 60 varieties in town now and a few in English Jan’s own yard. Grocery-store mangoes? Forget about it.
“We’re using our energy and our charity funds to get these mangoes to you. We’re not asking for money right now. We just want you to plant, nurture, and enjoy,” she says.
Maybe one day soon, Englewood will have its own Mango Festival. By then, the trees will be loaded with fruit. Perhaps Englewood could fill the square, swap recipes, share baskets, donate the extras to the food pantries; imagine that.
It may be too late to receive one of the free 100 mango trees this year, but for next year, if you want to get involved, or if you just want your own slice of mango heaven, call or text English Jan at 941-909-0500. Mention the Free Mango Tree Project and help fill Englewood with sunshine, one tree at a time. When you’re biting into your first homegrown mango, you’ll know you’re part of something that’s going to last.
And just like Johnny Appleseed, perhaps English Jan will go down in Englewood history as “Janny Mango-seed.”
