Avocado Race Characteristics

Characteristics of West Indian, Guatemalan and Mexican Races of Avocados

From the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

Avocado varieties are classified in three groups, known as the West Indian, Guatemalan and Mexican "races". West Indian avocados originated in the tropical lowland areas of southern Mexico and Central America whereas the Guatemalan and Mexican avocados originated in mid-altitude highlands in Guatemala and Mexico. The distinguishing characteristics of the three races is summarized in Table 1. In Florida, most early season varieties are West Indian types, whereas midseason and late varieties are mostly Guatemalan-West Indian hybrids or Guatemalan types and therefore have intermediate characters between the two races. Some characteristics of Florida avocado varieties are summarized in Table 2.

Table 1. Characteristics of West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican races of avocados^Z

	Race
Characteristics	West Indian	Guatemalan	Mexican
Origin	Tropical lowlands	Tropical highlands	Tropical highlands
Foliage	No odor	No odor	Anise-scented
Blooming season	February to March	March to April	January to February
Maturity season	May to September	September to January	June to October
Development period (fruit set to maturity)	5 to 8 months	10 to 15 months	6 to 8 months
Fruit size	1 to 5 lbs (0.5 to 2.3 kg)	½ to 5 lbs (0.2 to 2.3 kg)	Not over 1 lb (Not over 0.5 kg)
Skin texture	Leathery-smooth	Woody-rough	Papery-smooth
Fruit oil content	Low	Moderate to High	High

Cold hardiness	West Indian	Guatemalan	Mexican
General rating	Low	Moderate to High	High
Young trees	28 to 30°F (-2 to -1°C)	26 to 28°F (-3 to -2°C)	24 to 26°F (-4 to -3°C)
Mature trees	25 to 30°F (-4 to -1°C)	24°F to 28°F (-4 to -2°C)	18 to 26°F (-8 to -3°C)
^z Tree response to freezing temperatures is influenced by tree health, stage of growth, and cultural practices. Hybrids of these races have intermediate characteristics.

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Bibliography

Crane, Jonathan H., et al. "Avocados Growing in the Home Landscape." Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, IFAS Extension, CIR1034, First published as FC-3: Mar. 1983, Revised Jan. 1998; Aug. 2001, May 2003; Sept. 2005, Aug. 2007 and Sept. 2016, Reviewed Dec. 2019, EDIS, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg213. Accessed 13 June 2018, 16 Apr. 2020.

Published 11 Oct. 2014 LR. Last update 16 Apr. 2020 LR