Avocado

Persea americana

The Avocado also known as aguacate (Spanish), alligator pear and butter pear, is a tree native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America. The evergreen tree grows to approx. 20 metres and produces inconspicuous green-yellow flowers followed by the pear, or spherical, shaped fruit. The trees are largely self pollinating though you will typically get a heavier crop with some cross pollination.

The avocado is a subtropical species needing a frost-free climate and protection from wind, although the Hass cultivar can tolerate temperatures down to -1°C. The trees also need well aerated soils, ideally more than 1 m deep.

On average, an avocado tree produces about 120 avocados annually. The fruit is climacteric which means that it matures on the tree but ripens off the tree. Another example of this type of fruit is the Banana. The key point to remember is that avocados must be mature to ripen properly. Fruit can be left on the tree for some months but will fall if left too long.

WARNING: There is some well documented evidence to suggest that that the leaves, bark, skin and pit are toxic to some types of animals. Birds are particularly sensitive to the compound these parts contain, and therefore avocado scraps should go to the worms rather than the chickens.

Varieties in cultivation at TSH are Hass, Bacon and Wurtz (dwarf type)

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