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Persea americana

avocado

A bushy evergreen shrub or small tree, with glossy, lance-shaped or elliptic leaves, rarely flowering in cultivation in temperate climates

Other common names

aguacate
alligator pear
see moreavocado pear
midshipman's butter
palta
vegetable marrow
West Indian avocado

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Lauraceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Pets (rabbits): Leaves TOXIC if eaten Pets (incl. caged birds): Fruit harmful if eaten repeatedly - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Persea are evergreen shrubs or small trees with simple leaves and small greenish flowers, followed by pear-shaped, dark green fruits with edible flesh
Name status: Correct
Plant range: C. America

How to grow

Cultivation

In temperate climate grow under cover in containers at least 30cm (12in) in diameter using loam-based compost with added sharp sand. Maintain temperatures of 20-28°C (68-82°F) and high humidity. Apply balanced liquid feed every 2-3 weeks

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Soak undamaged seed in hot for 30 minutes at 40-52°C (104-125°F). Cut a thin slice from the pointed end of the seed. Sow individually in moist sandy compost with the cut end slightly above the soil surface and keep at 20-25°C (68-77°F). Cultivars are propagated by grafting

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

Glasshouse whitefly, thrips and glasshouse red spider mite and mealybug may be a problem

Diseases

Can suffer from fungal leaf spots and Phytophthora root rot

Get involved

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