page_title: Avocado
section_title: Cultivation
hierarchical_section_title: Avocado / Cultivation
caption_attribution_description: Persea americana, Young avocado plant (seedling), complete with seed and roots
context_page_description: The avocado, a tree likely originating from south-central Mexico, is classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. The fruit of the plant, also called an avocado, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed.
  Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, they ripen after harvesting. Avocado trees are partially self-pollinating, and are often propagated through grafting to maintain predictable fruit quality and quantity. In 2017, Mexico produced 34% of the world supply of avocados.
context_section_description: The subtropical species needs a climate without frost and with little wind. High winds reduce the humidity, dehydrate the flowers, and affect pollination. When even a mild frost occurs, premature fruit drop may occur, although the 'Hass' cultivar can tolerate temperatures down to −1 °C. Several cold-hardy varieties are planted in the region of Gainesville, Florida, which survive temperatures as low as −6.5 °C (20 °F) with only minor leaf damage. The trees also need well-aerated soils, ideally more than 1 m deep.
  According to information published by the Water Footprint Network, it takes an average of approximately 70 litres (18 US gallons) of applied fresh ground or surface water, not including rainfall or natural moisture in the soil, to grow one avocado. However, the amount of water needed depends on where it is grown; for example, in the main avocado-growing region of Chile, about 320 L (85 US gal) of applied water are needed to grow one avocado.
  Yield is reduced when the irrigation water is highly saline.
caption: Persea americana, young avocado plant (seedling), complete with parted pit and roots
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