Mexicola Avocado Grow Guide

A Mexicola Avocado Hanging On The Tree
Image Credit: Miami Fruit

The Mexicola Avocado may be small fruit, but its flavor packs a punch!

So, if you are not a fan of West Indian & Guatemalan Avocados and instead want a Mexican Avocado that produces a good number of creamy fruit, then look no further than Mexicola 🙂

With that being said, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about Mexicola Avocado:

Table of Contents

Mexicola Avocado Tree Characteristics

The Mexicola Avocado Tree is a Flowering Type A Avocado. In other words, the female flowers open in the morning and male flowers in the afternoon. In order to maximize Mexicola’s fruit production, the tree should be planted near a Flowering Type B Avocado with a similar fruiting season.

This includes avocado cultivars such as:

Holding a Mature and Ripe Mexicola Avocado
Image Credit: Miami Fruit

Mexicola’s fruit production consistently ranges from average to good

The avocados themselves are small, pear-shaped fruits that typically weigh between 0.25 – 0.5 lb. However, due to the fruit’s smaller size and larger seed, Mexicola Avocados have a poor flesh-to-seed ratio.

A box full of ripe and mature Mexicola Avocados
Image Credit: Miami Fruit

Mexicola is a pure Mexican Avocado.

Similar to other Mexican Avocados like Poncho, Joey, Lila, Brogdon and Mexicola Grande, Mexicola is highly cold tolerant and able to withstand temperatures as low as 22º F, making it one of the hardiest avocados available.

As a result, Mexicola is a great option for those who are in USDA Hardiness Zones 9A and above.

A young and recently planted Mexicola Avocado Tree
Image Credit: Brandon Watson

Finally, Mexicola’s growth habit is highly influenced by where it’s being grown:

  • In Florida, Mexicola has a slow & spreading growth habit.
  • In California, Mexicola has a vigorous and spreading growth habit.
A more mature Mexicola Avocado Tree
Image Credit: Brandon Watson

Mexicola Avocado Flavor Profile

Similar to Brogdon and Mexicola Grande, the Mexicola Avocado boasts a beautiful deep purple (bordering on black) skin that is smooth and paper-thin.

Although the skin doesn’t peel easily from the fruit, it is edible and imparts an anise/fennel flavor that enhances Mexicola’s overall flavor complexity.

Slicing into the fruit will reveal a pale yellowish-green flesh that has a soft and creamy texture, reminiscent of slightly softened cream cheese or butter.

As one can expect from a Mexican avocado, this creaminess is a result of the fruit’s high oil content (upwards of 20%), which offers a buttery and oily eating experience; ideal for guacamole!

While the skin may adhere to the fruit, Mexicola’s seed tends to be loose in the cavity and easily pops out.

From a flavor perspective, Mexicola is a rich and strongly tasting avocado, packed with a distinct nuttiness and pleasant anise undertones. Interestingly enough, if one were to ignore the anise notes, Mexicola is somewhat reminiscent of a Hass Avocado.

And while I personally prefer Mexicola over Hass due to its distinct flavor elements, if you’re not a fan of anise or fennel flavors, Mexicola may not be to your taste.

One last interesting tidbit that I’ve observed is that Mexicola Grande seems to have a consistently stronger flavor relative to Mexicola. Of course, flavor is just one aspect to consider when deciding which fruit to grow.

That said, I’ve noticed that, relative to Mexicola Grande, Mexicola tends to have less:

  • Fibers throughout the fruit
  • Seed husk sticking to the fruit
  • Problems with uneven ripening (an especially big factor to consider)

Mexicola Avocado Season (And When To Pick)

Mexicola Avocados are considered an early season avocado (July – August).

However, when grown in California, Mexicola’s season ranges from August to October.

Immature and unripe clusters of Mexicola Avocados
Image Credit: Grossman Avocados

Depending on your growing conditions, Mexicola Avocados can have a relatively short season during which the majority of the fruit matures all at once on the tree, as opposed to successive maturation over the course of several months.

Screenshot

That said, the best time to pick Mexicola Avocados are when they are mature on the tree.

From a color perspective, this is when the fruit has transitioned to a deep-purple, almost black, color.

If you have problems with wildlife, Mexicola Avocados can be picked when the deep-purple, black color covers around 80% – 90% of the fruit.

And while determining an avocado’s maturity can be difficult and require some trial and error, I have developed a repeatable process that has worked great for me:

  1. On the first day of the first month when the fruit is in season (see above for location-based seasons), after the fruit has transitioned to a deep-purple color, pull a single fruit off the tree and allow it ripen for 3 – 8 days (at room temperature)
    • Delicately create small indents all around the fruit using your fingers.
      • If you detect a mixture of hard and soft spots, the fruit is not yet ripe. 
      • Conversely, uniform softness (not super soft) throughout the fruit indicates that it is ready for consumption.
  2. Taste the fruit – is the taste or consistency off ?
    • If the fruit tastes great, the rest of the avocados on our tree are ready to be harvested
    • If the fruit tastes sour/foul/rancid, wait another month and repeat the process with another single fruit
A Mexicola Avocado With a Bite Taken Out of It
Image Credit: Miami Fruit

After confirming that the avocados on our tree are mature, we can begin developing our ‘avocado pipeline.’ This involves picking some fruit to ripen on the counter for more immediate use while also placing others in the refrigerator to be used later. By adopting this approach, we can ensure a continuous supply of ripe avocados.

Mexicola Avocado History

The Mexicola Avocado was first propagated by Coolidge Rare Plant Gardens in Pasadena, California in 1910.

Bacon Avocado and 2 Mexicola Avocados
Mexicola Avocado vs Bacon Avocado
Image Credit: Grossman Avocados

Mexicola Avocado Tree For Sale

Fortunately, the Mexicola Avocado is a popular and common cultivar in the nursery trade.

And while the fruit may be on the smaller side, Mexicola is a great option for those in Florida who prefer a slower-growing tree that produces delicious Mexican-flavored avocados.

With that being said, if you are unable to find one at a local nursery, your next best option is checking out Lara Farms Miami (not sponsored). They are one of the only legit places online where you are getting exactly what you are paying for. 

Lara Farms has over 30 varieties of avocados available. They do ship!

Conclusion

If you found this grow guide helpful, please consider sharing. It helps support the website 🙂

If you have any questions regarding anything mentioned in this grow guide, please comment them below! This way, others can also benefit from the answer to the same question. For any other questions or growing tips that you think may be helpful, feel free to use the contact form and drop me a line.

Thank you for reading! 🙂

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Matthew Rowlings

I have a degree in Biology from the University of Florida and am also an Active Florida Master Gardener. I am located in Central Florida (Zone 10A) and have 7+ years of experience with growing, propagating, and grafting 20+ types of tropical fruit trees on my 0.15 acre suburban lot. You can learn more about me and why I started Tropical Tree Guide on my about page.

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