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Fruit tree
Avocado
Persea americana
A large evergreen tree that can crop in Adelaide with care. It is frost-tender and hates hot, dry wind and wet feet, so plant in spring in a warm, sheltered spot with perfect drainage, ideally on a mound. Choose a cold-tolerant variety such as Bacon or Hass and water deeply through summer.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing800 cm apart
- FrostFrost tender
- HeatCopes with some heat
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add avocado to my gardenTake care with pets and children
Pets: Seriously toxic. Children: Not known to be toxic. Parts: leaves, seed, skin, bark. Persin is toxic to birds (including pet birds and backyard chooks), rabbits, horses and livestock, and can be fatal. Pet Poison Helpline lists avocado as non-toxic to dogs and cats, but the seed can block the gut. Fruit flesh is an everyday food.
Varieties (4)
- BaconB-type; the most cold-hardy choice for cooler gardens; smaller tree
- HassA-type; the classic pebbly black-skinned fruit; fairly cold tolerant once established
- ReedA-type; large round fruit in summer; upright tree
- WurtzA-type; naturally dwarf, about 3 to 4 m; suits small gardens and large pots
Neighbours
Grows well with
From seed to plate
Plant
800 cm apart. Full sun.
Water
Deep, regular water in summer.
Feed
Organic fertiliser with extra potash.
Pick
Pick mature fruit; ripen indoors.
Good to know
- Paint or wrap young trunks to stop sunburn
- Keep a thick mulch over the shallow roots, clear of the trunk
- Fruit doesn't soften on the tree; pick a test fruit and ripen it inside
- Planting an A-type and a B-type variety can improve fruit set
Common problems
- Root rot (Phytophthora) in wet soilplant on a mound in free-draining soil; roots die if waterlogged for about two days
- Leaf and fruit scorch in heatwaves and hot north windsshelter the tree, mulch well and water deeply before hot days
- Frost burn on young treescover on frosty nights and avoid feeding late in the season
- Fruit dropkeep watering steady while fruit sets
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Where this information comes from
- ABC Gardening Australia: Fruit Guide (avocado not frost tolerant) (frost, medium confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- ABC Gardening Australia: Avocados (growing, medium confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Avocado (persin; toxic to horses) (toxicity, high confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
- Pet Poison Helpline: Avocado (persin toxic to birds, rabbits, horses, ruminants) (toxicity, high confidence, checked 29 Oct 2026)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 29 Oct 2026. Version 1.