Home > Facts > Plants Facts > Avocado Facts

Avocado Facts

Avocado Facts
Avocado is a flowering plant that belongs to the family Lauracaea. This plant originates from Mexico, but it can be found around the world today. Avocado grows in tropical and subtropical areas that provide enough sunlight and humidity. It does not tolerate low temperatures and strong winds. Avocado is prone to different bacterial, viral and fungal disease that may induce rotting of certain parts of the plant or lead to death of entire tree. Avocado is an integral part of human diet for thousands of years. There are over 400 different varieties of avocado, but only few of them are used commercially. Due to intense flavor and high nutritional value, popularity of avocado is growing constantly.
Interesting Avocado Facts:
Avocado tree can reach 66 feet in height.
Avocado has elliptic, 4 to 10 inches long green leaves. They are alternately arranged on the tree.
Avocado has green or yellow flowers that easily blend with the rest of the tree. They are very small and have only 0.2 to 0.4 inches in diameter.
Avocado tree produces oval or egg-shaped fruit that has fleshy structure and large seed in the middle.
Avocado is also known as "alligator pear" because of its pear-like shape and rough texture of the skin.
Avocado is rich source of fats, vitamin C and vitamins of the B group, minerals (especially potassium) and fibers. It is healthy fruit that is recommended to everybody. Unfortunately, some people develop allergies after consumption of avocado.
Avocado is often consumed raw because cooking changes its taste. It is often served in the form of shakes, ice creams and dips.
Besides for eating, fresh and ripe avocado can be used to soothe sunburns and to improve tonus of the skin.
Almost 50% of Americans consume avocado regularly. California produces 95% of all commercially available avocados in the United States.
Mexico is the greatest producer of avocados that are available worldwide. It exports more than 1 million tons of avocados each year.
Hass is the most popular and the most consumed type of avocado.
Avocado is climacteric fruit, which means that it matures on the tree but ripens after falling to the ground. Avocado is often harvested green, so that it can ripen on the way to its final destinations (supermarkets around the world). Avocado becomes fully ripe after one or two weeks.
Avocado tree contains both male and female flowers but they mature at different time to prevent self-pollination. This phenomenon is called "dichogamy". Because of that, avocado requires a "company" of another avocado tree to ensure successful reproduction.
Avocado can be propagated from the seeds, grafts and tissue cultures. Production of fruits starts four to six years after planting.
Avocado tree can survive over 100 years under appropriate climate conditions.


Related Links:
Facts
Plants Facts
Animals Facts