When are avocados in season? In Mexico, always. Avocados From Mexico are available 365 days a year. It’s one of the reasons we’re #AlwaysGood. In fact, Mexico is one of the only places in the world where avocados can grow year-round.
Avocado Season in Mexico
Mexico’s climate, which ranges from tropical to temperate, and its geographic diversity provide ideal environments for growing various fruits and vegetables. While some produce may thrive throughout the country, some locations are more favorable than others when it comes to growing avocados.
There’s no better place for avocados to grow than the Mexican state of Michoacán, home to more than 40,000 avocado orchards. Michoacán is basically magic for avocados; it has the perfect balance of sunshine and rainfall that avocados love, plus rich volcanic soil in the ground that gives avocado trees all the yummy nutrients they need to produce the produce you love.
But the real magic of Michoacán is its mountainous terrain. The orchards are planted up and down the mountainside at varying elevations, from 2,000 to 10,000 feet high. That’s a big difference in elevation, so each orchard has its own microclimate, and the temperatures vary throughout the year. The result is four unique avocado seasons in Mexico, or what we call “blooms.”
When Do Avocados Bloom?
The orchards rhythmically bloom from higher to lower elevations and then back again. The four blooms have distinct characteristics from one another, meaning there’s a continual, uninterrupted avocado harvest throughout the year. Although the blooms overlap, there’s plenty of time for harvesting: Depending on the elevation’s specific climate, avocados that are ready to be picked can survive on a tree for up to six months.
Let’s take a look at the four bloom cycles and learn what makes each one unique.
Join Us in Avocadoland
The magic of Michoacán is too good not to share. That’s why Mexico exports billions of pounds of their always-good avocados to the U.S. every year. Learn all about the avocado industry in our “Avocadoland” docuseries to see how we do it.
1. The Loca (“Full”) Bloom
When: June-September
Where: Below 6,560 feet in June; everywhere in July-September.
The avocado season opens with a four-month avocado bloom cycle, starting in June at altitudes below 6,560 feet. During the loca bloom, things get loco: By July, nearly all the avocado trees in orchards everywhere are bursting with delicious, round avocados.
Celebrate summer with these avocado recipes:
- 😜 Crazy Corn Guacamole: Go loco during loca bloom with this crazy corn guac from chef Pati Jinich, complete with queso fresco, Mexican crema, and a dash of pequin chile powder.
- 🌴 Easy Summer Dinner Recipes: Ain’t nobody got time for complicated dinners when summer’s in full swing. Get 30-minute-or-less recipes perfect for heat-beating, including goodies like Thai avocado shrimp bowls and baja fish tacos.
2. The Aventajada (“Advantaged”) Bloom
When: September-November
Where: <5,250 feet September-October; 5,250-6,890 feet October-November; >6,890 feet in November.
The aventajada (“advantaged) bloom keeps avocados in season for the autumn months. Aventajada avocados have a longer, more pear-shaped body — one you’re familiar with if you enjoy avocados for Thanksgiving dinner.
Add avocados to your autumnal gatherings with these festive dishes:
- 🍂 Easy Fall Dinner Recipes: Convenient 30-minute dinners are “aventajada” dinners. Enjoy an avocado autumn with all kinds of easy recipes, from a turkey burrito with an avocado pico de gallo to a harvest bowl salad with an avocado balsamic vinaigrette.
- 🦃 Thanksgiving Appetizers: Give thanks for family, friends, and aventajada avocados by whipping up these Turkey Day apps: pumpkin-cranberry-avocado muffins to start, turkey sliders with feta guac to end.
3. The Normal Bloom
When: September-February
Where: 3,600-5,250 feet in September; <6,890 feet in October; everywhere in November-February.
It’s always a good time when avocados are in season, and the normal bloom is one of our favorite seasons. Stretching over a six-month period from September aaaaall the way to Big Game season in February, this is when the majority of avocados are produced.
Enjoy these wintry recipes:
- 🥗 5 Winter Salads With Avocado: Keep the good vibes going throughout the cold months by tossing these winter avocado salads. Despite the name of this bloom, these green-packed recipes are anything but normal.
- 🏈 Big Game Snack Time: The Big Game is synonymous with a super-duper bowl of guac, but you can satisfy watch-party guests with avocado-stuffed potato skins, cheeseburger bacon bites with avocado, and so much more.
4. The Marzena (“March”) Bloom
When: March-June
Where: <6,200 feet in March; 5,250-6,560 feet in April; 6,560-7,550 feet in May; 7,550-8,200 feet in June.
This cycle briefly overlaps with the loca bloom and has a very specific timeline for avocado harvesting. It’s a bit complicated, but leave that to our professional avocado farmers. They know what they’re doing — they’re making sure we can enjoy avocados all spring long (especially for Cinco de Mayo parties).
Brighten up springtime with these avocado recipes:
- 🇲🇽 Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Chef Pati Jinich shares 30+ recipes for Cinco, from guacamole and tacos to burgers and margaritas. Thanks for making us say CincOMG, Pati.
- 🧺 Guacamole Picnic: Perfect weather calls for perfect picnics, and you can’t spell perfect without avocado. Head to a park, beach, or the backyard and celebrate the marzena bloom with these avocado recipes.
Harvest Time for Avocados
Avocados From Mexico are in season every month of the year due to the overlapping blooms, which means avocados are always being harvested throughout the 40,000 orchards in Michoacán. It’s a lot of work! A team of pickers, 34,000 growers, and 84 packers work together to ensure the continuous harvest and exportation of the delicious Mexican avocados that make mealtime a good time.
The Mexican Avocado Season
The next time someone asks, “Are avocados in season right now?” you can reassure them Avocados From Mexico are always in season. It’s almost too good to be true, but thanks to the unique growing conditions in Michoacán, you can enjoy Avocados From Mexico whenever you like.
Dig into our recipe archive to discover avo inspo 365 days a year — ’cause that’s when avocados are in season, baby!
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