Avocado Facts

12 California Avocado Facts and Fun Tidbits

1. California Avocados are grown by about 3,000 California Avocado farmers on approximately 50,000 acres 
2. California Avocado groves are located from San Diego County to Monterey County
3. The majority of avocados consumed in the U.S. are imported. California is the largest producer of avocados grown in the U.S.
4. The California difference: rich soil, fresh coastal breezes, California sun and the care of dedicated local farmers
5. Avocados need the warm sun during the day with cool breezes at night, which is one reason select regions of California are perfect for growing avocados
6. The Hass avocado variety is a California native. It was first discovered by Rudolph Hass in the mid-1920’s. Every Hass avocado in the world can trace its roots to that “Mother Hass Tree” in La Habra Heights, California
7. The name of the avocado variety is typically derived from the name of the person who discovered it, such as the Hass (rhymes with ‘pass’), named after Rudolf Hass
8. There are eight avocado varieties grown commercially in California, but the Hass variety is the most popular, accounting for approximately 95 percent of the total crop volume
9. Lamb Hass and GEM are the next two most popular California Avocado varieties
10. It takes about 14-18 months to grow a single California Avocado
11. One California Avocado tree can produce about 150 avocados (or 60 pounds of fruit) per season
12. The California Avocado season is typically from spring through summer. Tips for Finding California Avocados

MORE AVOCADO FACTS

• Although commonly thought of, and classified by some as a vegetable, avocados are a fruit because they meet the botanical criteria for a berry: fleshy pulp and large seed
• Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty, but now avocados are enjoyed around the world by people from all walks of life.
• The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of its pear-like shape and green skin.
• Avocado is a derivative of the Spanish word aguacate, which in turn comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl.
• Approximately 1 in 10,000 avocado buds will set and mature into a fruit.
• The size of an avocado does not indicate the fruit quality or stage of ripeness. An avocado’s seed actually grows with the fruit, so the seed-to-fruit ratio will always be close to the same.
• Avocados are great to eat 24/7 – check out these Avocado Recipe Ideas.