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Avocado (Persea americana)
Photo: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries crop

Avocado

Persea americana

Family: Lauraceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Mexico, Colombia.

The avocado is an evergreen tree of the laurel family growing to 15–20 m, with leathery, elliptical leaves and small, greenish-yellow flowers. Its fruit is a large, single-seeded berry with a green or almost black skin and buttery, creamy flesh rich in unsaturated fats. The fruits ripen only after being picked, so they travel well. The most popular commercial variety, Hass, descends from trees raised in California from material of Mesoamerican origin.

Description from: Mexico.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Mexico no. 6 of 15 native

    The avocado has been grown in Mesoamerica for thousands of years, and the Aztecs made a sauce called “ahuacamolli” from it – the forerunner of today’s guacamole.

  2. Colombia no. 12 of 15 introduced or naturalised

    Colombia is among the world’s largest avocado producers, and exports of the Hass variety soared after the US market opened in 2017. Large, green avocados of local varieties are served with ajiaco, bandeja paisa and sancocho.