20 Avocado Facts

Have you jumped on the avocado bandwagon? From guacamole to toast to ice cream, this fruit sure is versatile. Check out 20 more facts we found about that deliciously creamy fruit.

1. Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable
2. Avocado comes from the Spanish word “aguacate,” which came from the Aztec word “ahuacatl” which means testicle. Mostly likely because they grow in pairs.
3. These fruit trees need other avocado trees nearby since they do not self-pollinate.
4. A tree can range from 15 to 30 feet tall.
5. It takes 3 to 5 years for a mature tree to bear fruit, but it will do so for decades.
6. The fruit comes from a bloom that has been pollinated.
7. Pollinated blooms take close to a year to grow into ready-to-pick avocados.
8. Each tree averages about 150 avocados each year but can produce up to 500.
9. The fruit is harvested by carefully cutting the stem.
10. Once removed from the tree, they begin ripening.
11. About 90% of the United States avocados come from California.
12. San Diego County producing 40% California’s avocados, dubbing them the Avocado Capital in the United States.
13. Nearly 4,000 growers are in California.
14. The fruit is produced year-round in California.
15. Avocados orientated in Mexico over 10,000 years ago.
16. Mexico exports about 1.7 billion lbs. of the fruit to the states.
17. Over 30,000 Orchards in Mexico provide avocados to the world.
18. While there are Hass avocados are the most popular, making up 95% of the fruit eaten in the U.S.
19. The Hass avocado is the newest variety, discovered in 1926 by a postal worker turn avocado grower, Rudolph Hass.
20. Tom Selleck and Jamie Foxx each own their own avocado farm.

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Sources:
California Avocado
Avocados From Mexico
Taste Of Home
Love One Today.com