Avocado trees grow readily from a sprouted pit, but patience is the real requirement — a tree grown from seed can take anywhere from five to fifteen years before it produces its first fruit.
Native to Mexico and Central America, avocado is a subtropical evergreen tree that needs a warm, frost-free climate to fruit reliably outdoors, though many gardeners in cooler zones grow it indoors as an attractive, if fruitless, houseplant.
Avocado trees want full sun and well-draining soil, and they're sensitive to frost, needing a warm, sheltered spot in any marginal climate. Grafted nursery trees fruit much sooner than pit-grown seedlings and are the better choice for gardeners hoping to actually harvest avocados.
Unlike most fruit, avocados don't ripen on the tree — they only begin to soften after being picked, which is why growers harvest and let them finish ripening on the counter.
