Monroe Avocado Grow Guide

A Monroe Avocado On The Tree
Image Credit: Sulcata Grove

If you are looking for an avocado tree that:

✅ Is VERY productive
✅ Is late season
✅ Will do well in limited spaces (small yards, etc.)

Then look no further than the Monroe Avocado!

Without further ado, this grow guide will cover everything that you need to know about Monroe Avocado:

Table of Contents

Monroe Avocado Tree Characteristics

A Young Monroe Avocado Tree
Image Credit: Mermaid Michelle

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

This includes avocado cultivars such as:

Speaking of fruit production, Monroe’s fruit production consistently ranges from good to heavy. The avocados themselves are medium to large-sized, elliptically-shaped fruits that typically weigh between 1.5 – 2.5 lbs.

Due to Monroe’s excellent late-season production and its slow-to-medium vigor growth habit, Monroe is definitely a favorite among homeowners.

Monroe Avocado Hanging On The Tree
Image Credit: Shamus O’Leary

The Monroe Avocado is a Guatemalan X West Indian Hybrid.

Similar to other Guatemalan X West Indian Hybrids like Lula, Hall, Choquette, Kampong and Marcus Pumpkin, Monroe is moderately cold tolerant to temperatures as low as 25°F.

This makes Monroe a great option for those in USDA Hardiness Zones 9B and above.

Monroe Avocado Flavor Profile

The Monroe Avocado’s deep green skin is slightly bumpy and boasts a glossy finish.

And despite being on the thicker side, the skin is easy to peel away.

A Large Monroe Avocado
Image Credit: Steph Hue

The fruit’s flesh is smooth, firm, and creamy, with an oil content that typically ranges from 10 – 12%. Moreover, thanks to its steady and firm texture, Monroe also excels in its use in various culinary applications (holding up well in salads, etc.).

However, from a flavor perspective, how does Monroe compare to other avocado cultivars that I’ve sampled?

A Monroe Avocado Cut In Half
Image Credit: Steph Hue

Despite its lower oil content, Monroe offers a mild yet inviting nutty flavor that is very pleasant and similar to that of Catalina and Simmonds. Therefore, Monroe definitely stands out as an excellent choice for those who appreciate the distinctive taste of West Indian Avocados.

A Monroe Avocado Cut Into Quarters
Image Credit: Steph Hue

Additionally, relative to other avocados that are in season alongside Monroe, I personally lean towards the richer flavor and higher oil content of both the Lula and Oro Negro. Yet, as any avid fruit enthusiast knows, while flavor is crucial, it shouldn’t be the sole factor to consider when determining whether or not to plant out a specific variety.

More specifically, when we consider other factors like fruit yield & tree growth habit, Monroe begins to emerge as an all-around better choice relative to the tastier (yet lower-producing) cultivars such as Lula, Kampong, or Oro Negro.

Comparing Avocados: Monroe Avocado, Pico De Loro Avocado, Choquette Avocado, Hall Avocado, Oro Negro Avocado, Utuado Avocado
Monroe, Pico de Loro, Choquette, Hall, Oro Negro, Utuado
Image Credit: Serendib Farms

Monroe Avocado Season (And When To Pick)

Monroe Avocados are considered a late-season avocado (December – February).

Note: According to the Official Florida Picking Schedule, Monroe can technically be picked as early as November. However, I highly encourage you to allow the fruit to continue maturing closer to the end of December or the beginning of January in order to maximize Monroe’s flavor.

Monroe Avocado vs Bacon Avocado
Monroe Avocado vs Bacon Avocado (Image Credit: Team Zissou)

That said, the best time to pick Monroe Avocados are when they are mature on the tree. In terms of color changes, Monroe undergoes very little transformation during the maturation process. Consequently, my usual approach involves first checking if the fruit is full size and then attempting to gently remove it from the tree.

If both of these conditions are met (in addition to it being Dec – Feb), then Monroe should be ready to harvest!

An Unripe Monroe Avocado Cut In Half
Unripe Monroe Avocado (Image Credit: Sulcata Grove)

And when in doubt, I have developed a repeatable process that has worked great for me:

  1. Starting Dec 1, 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 1-2 weeks, and repeat the process with another single fruit
      • Fruit that are picked too early will often become black/inedible.
Ripe Monroe Avocado Cut In Half
Ripe Monroe Avocado (Image Credit: Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm)

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.

Monroe Avocado History

The Monroe Avocado was discovered in Homestead, Florida, in 1932, on the property of J.J.L Phillips.

In 1935, the tree bore its first fruits, and on August 24, 1937, the patent for ‘Monroe’ was officially granted to Joseph R. Byrum, the manager of Phillips’ grove.

Due to its excellent eating qualities and robust productivity, Monroe quickly became a prominent commercial cultivar in Florida.

Monroe is a seedling of Waldin and one of the parents of Oro Negro.

Monroe Avocado Tree For Sale

Since Monroe Avocados are a well-established and popular variety, they are usually available for sale at most local garden nurseries. Even if they are not currently in stock, most nurseries can procure them relatively quickly.

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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