🍎 Avocado
Persea americana
fruits evergreen tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
consistent; sensitive to both drought and overwatering
🗺️ Zones
9–11 (cold-hardy varieties to zone 8)
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained sandy loam; excellent drainage critical
🧪 Soil pH
6.0–6.5
📏 Spacing
20-30 ft apart (large tree; dwarf 10-15 ft)
📅 Days to Maturity
3-4 years (from grafted tree); 5-13 years from seed; bears fruit after establishment
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
Potassium accumulator — avocados are heavy potassium feeders; mulch source; shallow avocado roots benefit from comfrey's deep mining
🤝 Clover
Nitrogen fixer; living mulch cools root zone in hot climates
Aphid trap; groundcover; thrives in avocado microclimate
🤝 Marigold
Nematode suppression — avocado susceptible to root-knot nematodes
🤝 Garlic / Chives
Repel thrips, mites, and scale; antifungal for root rot prevention
Attracts beneficial insects; drought-tolerant understory
🤝 Banana (nearby)
Banana leaves provide mulch; bananas pump water into soil benefiting avocado; traditional tropical polyculture
🤝 Pigeon pea
Nitrogen-fixing shrub; windbreak for young avocado; chop-and-drop biomass
⚠️ Keep Apart (4)
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone sensitivity
Allelopathic; heavy water competition
⚠️ Grass / Lawn
Avocados are shallow-rooted; grass creates root rot conditions and competes heavily
⚠️ Dense canopy trees
Need full sun for fruit production
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains persenones and persin (unique antifungal compounds from the Lauraceae family). Rich in monounsaturated fats, lutein, and glutathione. Traditional Mesoamerican remedy for skin health, digestive issues, and inflammation. Leaf and seed decoctions used for diarrhea, dysentery, and toothache. Seed powder used for dandruff. Oil renowned for skin and hair.