Avocado - Persea Americana

Avocados likely originated in Central America and are a staple part of the diet for many cultures. In modern times this strange fruit has been carried to all different parts of the world. Generally speaking there are three types of avocados - Mexican, Guatemalan and West Indian, which all vary in fruit, leaf type and cold hardiness.
Avocado varieties have been split into two flowering types.
'A' Type - Female opens morning of first day and then the Male opens afternoon on the second day.
'B' Type - Female opens afternoon of the first day and then the Male opens morning of the second day.
If the temperature is above 21 degrees C the opening and closing of flowers will open like clock work. If the temperature drops below this the daily openings become delayed and irregular.

A 7+ year old tree can bear around 200 (or more!) fruit annually.  Avocados require a warm, sheltered sunny position, protected from frosts and general cold and from the wind - particuarly when young. They are quite salt tolerant. They may need some supplementary water in the summer, particularly for young trees, but they do not like being water-logged. 

Avocados are shallow rooting, and it is recommended to stake well and mulch the tree surrounds to protect the surface roots and retain moisture. In the home garden you can let one of the rootstock suckers grow as a pollinator. But be careful to control the sucker otherwise it might take over.