Can vegetables and flowers grow well under a mango tree?
Mangos produce chemicals that prevent other plants from growing. The reason for the poor growth of other plants under and near this tree is not just competition but due to an allelolpathic substance. Allelopathic chemicals are produce in roots, leaves, flowers and bark. In the case of the mango they are mostly in the leaves and when it rains or the leaves fall from the trees, these chemicals are released into the soil. The mango grows fine where its flowers drop, as far as I know, the chemicals are not toxic to humans, but grass and other plants such as veggies grow poorly when planted under and around these trees. Also, mangos are dense trees; very little light infiltrates the heavy canopy which means any plant trying to grow underneath will receive very little light.
