Avocado Trees, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida
A Florida-type avocado tree does well in SW Florida when it gets full sun, drainage and room to grow, and it can give you fruit within three to four years. Left alone it reaches 30 ft or more, though pruning holds it near 15 ft. Cold, salt spray and standing water are what hurt avocados here, so the site matters more than anything. We deliver and plant 15 and 25 gallon trees.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Moderate; deep watering in dry spells and through bloom and fruit set, never standing water
- Salt:
- Low to moderate; keep it out of direct salt spray and brackish water
Avocado Tree sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Plant | Sizes |
|---|---|
| Avocado Tree | 15 Gallon, 25 Gallon |
Avocado Tree in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 30 ft or more tall and wide if left alone; commonly pruned to 10 to 15 ft
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Moderate; deep watering in dry spells and through bloom and fruit set, never standing water
- Salt tolerance
- Low to moderate; keep it out of direct salt spray and brackish water
- Cold tolerance
- Mature trees take damage between about 25 and 30°F, young trees sooner; coastal Lee is usually fine, cover young trees inland on frost nights
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Spacing
- 25 to 30 ft from the house, power lines and other trees
- Florida native
- No, native to Mexico and Central America
- Botanical name
- Persea americana
Where Avocado Tree works in a SW Florida yard
Avocado belongs on a large, sunny, open lot: a back corner, a big Lehigh Acres lot, or the far end of a fruit planting where it will not shade the house. Keep it away from the pool, septic field and overhead lines, and expect leaf and fruit drop under the canopy.
Mango, Persian lime and banana make good company in a fruit corner, and a wide mulch ring beats lawn right up to the trunk.
- Backyard fruit production
- Shade on large lots
- Dooryard fruit orchards
- Feature tree in open lawns
How our crew plants it
Dig the hole 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball and no deeper, with the root flare an inch or two above the surrounding soil. Where water stands in the rainy season, build a broad mound, because avocados rot in wet soil. Stake the tree low and loose for its first year, mulch 3 inches deep and keep mulch off the trunk.
Our crew waters it in. Lee and Collier rules allow extra watering for new plantings, so water more often than your two assigned days at first, then taper.
Care after planting
- Water deeply in the dry season, especially from bloom through fruit set, and let summer rain do the rest.
- Feed young trees every one to two months in the first year and mature trees three or four times a year, but no nitrogen or phosphorus from June 1 to September 30 in Lee County, Naples and Marco Island.
- If new leaves turn yellow with green veins, use an iron chelate made for alkaline soil, since our high pH ties up iron.
- Prune after harvest to hold the tree at a size you can pick, and keep mulch off the trunk.
What to watch for
- Laurel wilt, a fungus carried by the redbay ambrosia beetle, is the biggest threat to Florida avocados and can kill a tree in a few weeks, with sudden wilting, brown leaves that hang on and tiny beetle holes in the bark as the signs.
- Avocados do not tolerate flooding, and Phytophthora root rot follows standing water, which is why low lots need a mound.
- Leaves, bark and the large pit contain persin, which can sicken birds, horses and goats, and the pit is a choking hazard for dogs.
Avocado Tree questions we hear
How long until an avocado tree fruits in Florida?+
A Florida avocado variety usually starts fruiting three to four years after planting, with a light first crop that grows each year. Trees grown from seed take much longer, often four to ten years, and the fruit can turn out different from the parent. Fruit ripens from summer into winter depending on the variety.
Do I need two avocado trees to get fruit?+
Not always. Some varieties set fruit alone, but many do better with a partner, because avocado flowers are either type A or type B and cross-pollination improves the crop. If you have room for two trees at least 25 ft apart, pair an A with a B; on a single-tree lot, choose a variety known to fruit by itself.
How far from the house or pool should I plant an avocado tree?+
Plan on 25 to 30 ft from the house, pool, septic field and overhead lines. A Florida avocado grows 30 ft or more and drops leaves, blossoms and fruit, so a tree set too close becomes a cleanup job and a branch problem. Pruning to about 15 ft gives a smaller yard some room.
When is the best time to plant an avocado tree in SW Florida?+
Spring through early summer is the best window, once frost danger has passed. The tree gets a full growing season and the summer rains to root in before its first winter. Planting in late fall leaves a young tree facing cold nights with little root, so avoid it, and never plant just ahead of a cold snap.
Which avocado variety grows best in Cape Coral and Fort Myers?+
Florida-bred West Indian and West Indian-Guatemalan hybrid types do best, because they handle humidity, summer rain and disease pressure. Hass, the grocery-store avocado, is a California type that tends to struggle in Florida's climate. Varieties differ in fruiting season and cold hardiness, so pick by when you want fruit and how far inland you are.
How much does it cost to have an avocado tree planted?+
Price depends on tree size, how many trees and the site, so we text a planted price rather than guess. Send the address and the size you want, and we usually reply within the hour during the day. Half down holds the tree and a delivery day, and the trees come from our own nursery, Palm & Plant Co.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on Avocado Tree
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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