Avocado Tree Bacon - Persea americana

Persea americana 'Bacon' produces pear-shaped avocados, with smooth green skin and excellent taste quality. Their yellow-green flesh is non-fibrous and creamy in texture. The 'Bacon' avocado variety is known for its hardiness compared to other varieties. It can withstand temperatures around -5 to -6°C, and even -7°C for very short periods. It can be grown in the ground in the mildest regions in a sunny or partially shaded position, well sheltered from the wind. Elsewhere, grow your avocado tree in a pot, ideally in a greenhouse or conservatory, or on a well-exposed balcony sheltered from the wind. The conditions for avocado harvest are optimal heat and humidity, along with a good dose of patience. Expect between 4 and 8 years after planting for your first harvest.

Persea americana, better known as the avocado tree, is an evergreen tree from the Lauraceae family, native to Central America. It grows in humid forests, from almost sea level up to 2000 m. Its native range determines its level of hardiness. There are three geographical types: the Mexican avocado tree (subtropical), the Guatemalan avocado tree (subtropical), and the West Indian avocado tree (tropical). It is cultivated in many subtropical regions, in Israel, and more recently in southern Spain. Avocados are appreciated, especially in winter, for their richness in fibre, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. This medium-sized tree can reach a height of 10 to 20 metres in its natural habitat, more often 10 than 20. The 'Bacon' variety, if grown in the ground, will not exceed 5 m high in our latitudes. This variety was discovered by James Bacon in 1954. The 'Fuerte' and 'Hass' varieties have overshadowed it, and it is rarely found in cultivation.

The leaves are rather large, 20 to 30 cm long and 10 to 15 cm wide. They are dark green and shiny. They fall every year, but only after the tree has already formed its new foliage: so the tree remains leafy all year round. Its spring flowers are hermaphroditic, either male or female. And the male and female blooms succeed each other. There are 2 types of avocado trees: protogynous, which starts with female flowering, or protandrous, which starts with male flowering. The 'Bacon' variety, being protandrous, is self-fertile, as both male and female blooms can overlap. However, to maximize your chances of harvest, it is advisable to plant a protogynous variety like 'Hass' or 'Pinkerton' nearby to ensure pollination of the flowers.

The 'Bacon' avocado is pear-shaped (ovoid). It is a good size, weighing between 200 and 400 g on average. Its green skin is thin and smooth. It remains green even after ripening. The fruit contains a large oval central seed measuring 3 to 5 cm long. Harvest them from October, preferably before the arrival of frost. They ripen after picking, usually within 4 to 7 days. Their flesh is yellowish-green and creamy, ideal for making excellent guacamole. It is important to note that the harvest is conditioned by providing sufficient sunlight to the tree, as well as high humidity during the initial fruit formation phase.