Description

General aspect and origins - Persea americana is known as avocado, alligator pear or butter pear. It originates from Central America and has spread to most subtropical and tropical places. It is an evergreen tree that may reach 33 ft (10 m) and more. The small flowers are scented and the green skined fruits are well known and appreciated all over the world.
Leaves - The avocado tree has an evergreen foliage, with alternate leaves, that are glossy and deep-green on the upper face, and paler on the underside. The fact that the leaves look like laurel leaves is not surprising, provided that the avocado tree belongs to the Lauraceae familly.
Flowers - Flowers of Persea americana are small, yellow-green, and often scented.
Fruits - The avocado is a pear-shaped, oval or rounded fruit, that may reach 12 in (30 cm) long and 6 in (15 cm) wide. The skin is dark to pale green, and the flesh is bright green to yellow, and is very creamy and butterlike.

Propagation

Persea americana can be easily propagated sowing the large single seeds. The seeds will sprout in a few weeks.
When propagating cultivars, budding is the prefered technique. Avocados propagated by seeds are then used as rootstock, and the cultivar is then budded, generally in late winter or in spring.