Functional compatibility between thirteen tropical fruit trees (Afzelia africana Smith., Adansonia digitata L., Aphania senegalensis Radlk., Anacardium occidentale L., Cordyla pinnata (Lepr. ex A. Rich.) Milne-Redhead, Dialium guineensis Wild., Landolphia heudelottii A.DC., Sclerocarya birrea (A.Roch.) Hochst., Saba senegalensis (A. DC.) Pichon and four reference hosts Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del., Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.), Tamarindus indien L. and Zizyphus mauritiana Lam.) and two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Glomus aggregatum Schenck and Smith emend. Schenck and Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith), was investigated. Marked differences were found between them in terms of mycorrhizal formation, root colonization, relative mycorrhizal dependency (RMD) and phosphorus concentrations in shoot tissues. A. africana, L. heudelottii and S. senegalensis did not form symbiotic associations, and the growth of A. africana decreased following mycorrhizal inoculation, while L. heudelottii and S. senegalensis showed no dependency. In contrast, A. digitata, A. senegalensis, A. occidentale, B. aegyptiaca and S. birrea were well colonized with AMF, but did not significantly increase in biomass production. Five fruit trees did, however, show dependency by a positive interaction with G. aggregatum, the most effective AMF. Z. mauritiana was found to be very highly dependent (RMD > 75%), T. indica was highly dependent (50-75% RMD), and D. guineensis, P. biglobosa and C. pinnata were moderately dependent (25-50% RMD). Phosphorus absorption probably contributed to this dependency more than the absorption of potassium. These results indicate that some tropical fruit trees do derive benefits from AM inoculation, while others do not.