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Where do Avocados Grow?
You’ve just dipped into a beautiful bowl of guacamole. As soon as you bite into the smooth, green glob of guac, your world goes into slow motion. “How are avocados THIS good?” you wonder, munching meditatively. “Do they grow in heaven? If not, where do avocados grow on Earth? Is such goodness even possible here?”
While we’ve got you in slow motion, let us avo-splain where avocados grow. You’ve got time, and we love talking about all things avocados.
Avocados Grow?
Avocados probably grow in heaven, but thankfully they grow on Earth, too. Avocado trees thrive in humid, subtropical climates — you’ll find bustling orchards in places like Mexico, South America, and California. But there’s one place where avocados grow especially well that, y’know, it may as well be heaven after all.
That place is the Mexican state of Michoacán, where there are 42,000 avocado orchards. It’s the country’s central hub of avocado production, harvest, and exportation to the U.S. — in fact, more than 80% of the avocados in the U.S. come from Michoacán. Ohhh… THAT’s where we get our name.
There are three magic keys to Michoacán that make it an avocado paradise.
The avocado groves in Michoacán grow in the heart of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a ring of more than 100 volcanoes. The ash from these volcanoes gives the area’s soil all kinds of precious nutrients, which avocado trees looooove.
Most avocado orchards in Michoacán are located near the city of Uruapan, which receives around 64 inches of precipitation every year. That rain feeds the rivers and lakes that allow avocado farmers to naturally irrigate their orchards. In fact, 61% of avocado orchards in Michoacán rely on rainfall as their primary source of irrigation.
Avocado trees only bear fruit in the right conditions — in most places, the avocado season only lasts for a few months every year. But here in Michoacán, our orchards are always blooming. It’s one of only two places in the world where avocados can bloom 365 days out of the year.
The avocado trees
in Michoacán are planted at different elevations (ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 feet) among the mountains. The various elevations create four distinct seasons (we call them “blooms”) among the orchards. The orchards rhythmically bloom from higher to lower elevations and then back again. Plus, avocados can survive on the tree for up to six months after they’re ready to be picked. The result is a continual, uninterrupted avocado harvest — meaning Avocados From Mexico are always good and always available.
We are proud of our home in Mexican avocado orchards. Learn where avocados grow, how they are farmed, and how they get to the U.S. in our “Avocadoland” docuseries.
Best Grown in Mexico
Where avocados grow best has always been Mexico. Archaeologists have even discovered avocado remnants in Mexico that are more than 10,000 years old. It’s no wonder, then, why the fruit has always been such a fixed part of Mexican culture and cuisine. To give you a taste of the cuisine where avocados grow, here are some of our favorite Mexican avocado recipes for you to try at home (with Avocados From Mexico, of course).
The best part is these recipes are just scratching the surface of all the delicious dishes you can make with Avocados From Mexico. Dig into our recipe archive to discover endless avo inspo.
