By Richard B. Primack
“Our circumstances answer to our expectations and the demand of our natures.”
Henry David Thoreau in A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
With a warming climate, we already grow figs and okra in our Newton, Massachusetts garden. This year we added two potted avocado plants to our garden, but with very low expectations of them ever fruiting. Despite the “cold-hardy” labels on the plants, we brought them inside in early November.
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| The avocado plant enjoying a sunny spot. |
To our surprise one plant started flowering this week. Each yellowish-green flower opens in a female receptive phase on its first day, and then closes at night. On the second day, the flower is in a male pollen-shedding phase and closes for the last time in the evening. At the base of the flower, bright yellow staminodes produce small drops of nectar.
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| A close-up of a flower. |
Over the past week, our family has been excitedly discussing making tasty guacamole for the February Superbowl from our own plump avocados. A more likely possibility is that the avocado flowers will just fall off due to lack of pollination and the right growing conditions.
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