Not Just Mangoes – Part Two

So do the Mangos know the future?

The saying that started this conversation—Mucho Mango, Poco Aguacate—may be one of the most recognizable pieces of hurricane folklore in South Florida and throughout parts of the Caribbean.

The science, however, tells a more complicated story.

Contrary to what many people assume, mango trees are not especially fond of excessive moisture during their

flowering season. In fact, some of the best mango harvests follow relatively dry conditions. Too much rain can damage blossoms, reduce pollination, and encourage fungal diseases that limit fruit production.

In other words, a tree loaded with mangoes isn't responding to storms that haven't happened yet.

What it may be responding to are the same environmental conditions that influence broader weather patterns. Seasonal shifts in temperature, rainfall, humidity, and larger climate cycles can affect both plant growth and the atmosphere in ways that people have observed for generations.

That doesn't mean the mangoes are predicting hurricane season.

But it may help explain why the saying endured.

People noticed the fruit. They noticed the weather. They remembered the years when both seemed to line up. Over time, an observation became a proverb, and a proverb became part of the culture.

Final Thoughts

The next time someone points to a heavily loaded mango tree and says, "We're in for a rough season," I'll probably smile.

Not because I believe the tree knows what's coming.

But because that simple observation connects us to something larger—a tradition of watching, noticing, and sharing knowledge about the world around us.

Whether it's a strange swell rolling in from a distant storm, seabirds disappearing from the shoreline, or an eerie stillness settling over the neighborhood, these stories remind us that people have always searched for clues about what comes next.

Some of those clues hold up better than others.

Yet each one tells us something valuable about the people who came before us and the environments they learned to live with. Long before satellites, forecast models, weather apps, and hurricane cones, awareness began with observation.

The mangoes may not know the future.

But the stories surrounding them remind us to pay attention.

• Listen to the stories.

• Watch the sea.

• Watch the sky.

And then do what really matters.

Review your plan. Check your supplies. Know your evacuation routes. Prepare based on facts—not folklore.

Because whether the old sayings prove right or wrong, hurricane season arrives just the same.

And preparedness will always matter more than prediction.

But that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the mangoes along the way.

So enjoy a mango smoothie while you're at it.

Mark B

Urban Survival Craft

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