The avocado (Persea americana), a tree with probable origin in south-central Mexico, is classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. The fruit of the plant, also called an avocado (or avocado pear or alligator pear), 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.
The best known varieties are the ‘Hass’ avocado, which is known for having a hard, rough skin, which, when ripe, softens up and turns dark in color. There are certain varieties, like ‘Fuerte’ and ‘Zutano’, known as ‘green skin avocados’, which skin becomes dark green when ripe.
