The avocado probably originated in southern Mexico but was cultivated from the Rio Grande to central Peru before the arrival of Europeans. Hybrid forms exist between all three types.
Avocados do well in the mild-winter areas of California, Florida and Hawaii.
Some hardier varieties can be grown in the cooler parts of northern and inland California and along the Gulf Coast. The northern limits in California is approximately Cape Mendocino and Red Bluff. Avocados do best some distance from ocean influence but are not adapted to the desert interior. There are dwarf forms of avocados suitable for growing in containers. The avocado is a dense, evergreen tree, shedding many leaves in early spring.