Lauraceae

Avocado

Persea americana Mill.

Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Persea

Pets and kids

CatsNot sure
DogsMildly toxic
KidsSafe

Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: persin.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea.

Avocado (Persea spp) Toxicosis in Animals - Toxicology - Merck Veterinary Manual Veterinary reference
Can Dogs Eat Avocado? Safety, Risks & What To Do | Pet Poison Helpline Poison control

Kids: Safe

Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Persea americana (Alligator Pear, Avocado) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Avocado (Persea americana) — FlowerPhoto: Jhonatan Matheus, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free

Common names

By language (143)

Afrikaans: Avokado
Albanian: Avokado
Amharic: አቡካዶ
ang: Beallucperu
Arabic: أفوكادو, أبوكاة, أهوكة, افوكا, افوكادو, الأفوكادو, اهو كاتية
Armenian: Ավոկադո
arz: افوكادو
Assamese: আভাকাডো, নাচপতি
Asturian: Avacatal
azb: آمریکا آووکادوسو
Azerbaijani: Amerika avokadosu, Avakado
ban: Apokad
Bangla: অ্যাভোকাডো, মাখনফল
Basque: Aguakat, Aguakate, Ahuakat, Ahuakate, Ahuakateondo
Belarusian: Авакада
bi: Avoka, Batafrut
bik: Abukado
bjn: Alpukat
Breton: Avoukez
Bulgarian: Авокадо
Burmese: ထောပတ်ပင်
Cantonese: 牛油果
Catalan: Alvocat, Alvocats, Avocat
Cebuano: Abokado, Abukado, Avocado
Central Kurdish: ئەڤۆکادۆ
ch: Alagatapeha'
Chinese: 酪梨, 鳄梨, 樟梨, 油梨, 油梨仔, 阿母跤躼, 鱷梨仔
Croatian: Avokado
Czech: Hruškovec přelahodný, Avokádo americké
dag: Paya
Danish: Avocado, Avocadotræ, Avokado, Avokadoplanten
Dutch: Avocado, Advocaatpeer, Advocado
English: Avocado, Alligator pear, Avocado pear, Avocadoes, Avocados
Esperanto: Avokado, Avokadujo, P. americana
Estonian: Avokaado
Filipino: Abukado, Abokado, Alligator pear, Avocado
Finnish: Avokado, Hedelmäavokado, Alligaattoripäärynä
fj: Avoka
French: Avocatier
frr: Avokaado
Galician: Palta, Abacate, Abacateiro
Georgian: Ავოკადო
German: Abacata, Alligatorbirne, Avocadobaum, Avocadofrucht, Butterbirne, Butterfrucht, Palta
Greek: Αβοκάντο, Βουτυρόδεντρο
Haitian Creole: Pye zaboka
Hausa: Avocado
Hebrew: אבוקדו
Hindi: मक्खनफल, रूचिरा
Hungarian: Avokádó, Mexikói avokádó
hyw: Աւկատանձ
Icelandic: Lárpera, Avocado, Avokado, Avokadó, Avókadó
Igbo: Ube oyibo
Indonesian: Alpukat, Avokad
io: Avokadiero
Irish: Abhacád
Italian: Avocado
Japanese: アボカド, アボガト, アボガド, アヴォカド, ワニナシ, 森のバター, 鰐梨
Javanese: Apokat, Alpokat
Kannada: ಆವಕಾಡೊ
Kazakh: Авокадо
kge: Jambu Pukat
Khmer: ប៊័រ
ki: Inyonyoe
Kinyarwanda: Avoka
koi: Авокадо
Korean: 아보카도
ks: تھنہِ ٹنٛگ
Kurdish: Avokado
kv: Авокадо
Kyrgyz: Авокадо
lad: Avokado
lah: آووکاڈو, ایووکیڈو
Lao: ສາລີ້ແຂ້
Latvian: Avokado, Aligatorbumbiere, Aligatorbumbieris, Avokādo
lbe: Авокадо
Lingala: Sabúká, Sabuka, Savoka, Savoká
Lithuanian: Amerikinė persėja
Luxembourgish: Avocado, Avocat
mad: Albhukat
Malagasy: Zavoka
Malay: Avokado, Buah avokado, Pokok avokado
Malayalam: വെണ്ണപ്പഴം, Avocado, അവ്കാഡൊ
map: Apokat
Marathi: अॅव्होकॅडो
min: Alpukat
mrj: Авокадо
mwl: Abacate
nah: Āhuacacuahuitl, Ahuacacuahuitl
nan: Avocado, Kho̍k-lâi-á, 鱷梨仔, A-bú-kha-lò, Iû-lâi-á, 油梨仔, 阿母跤躼
Nepali: एभोकाडो
Northern Sotho: Abokato
Norwegian Bokmål: Avokado, Alligatorpære, Avocado
Norwegian Nynorsk: Avokado, Avocado
nqo: ߔߌߦߊ
nv: Chʼil akʼahí
Odia: ଆଭୋକାଡୋ
os: Авокадо
pam: Abukadu
Persian: آووکادو, آواکادو, آوکادو, اواکادو, اووکادو, اوکادو
pms: Avocad
Polish: Smaczliwka wdzięczna, Awokado
Portuguese: Abacateiro, Abacado, Loiro abacate, Loiro-abacate, Louro abacate, Louro-abacate
Punjabi: ਆਵਾਕੈਡੋ
Quechua: Palta, Pallta
roa: Acovade
Romanian: Avocado
Russian: Авокадо, Агакат, Аллигаторова груша, Персея американская
sco: Avocado
Serbian: Авокадо
Serbian (Latin): Avokado
Shona: Avhokadho
Slovak: Hruškovec americký
Slovenian: Avokadovec, Avokado
Somali: Afakadho
Spanish: Palta, Aguacate, Avocado
ss: Likotapeni
stq: Avocado
Sundanese: Alpuket
Swahili: Mparachichi
Swedish: Avokado, Advocado, Advokado, Advokatpäron, Alligatorpäron, Avocado, Avookado, Krokodilpäron
Tajik: Авокодо
Tamil: வெண்ணெய்ப் பழம், வெண்ணெய் பழம்
Tatar: Авокадо
Telugu: వెన్న పండు, అవకాడో, మొసలి బేరి పండు
Thai: อาโวคาโด
Tigrinya: ኣቮካዶ, አቡካዶ
Tongan: ʻĀvoka
Tsonga: Ma-avocado
tum: Mapeyala
Turkish: Avokado, Amerikan armudu
ty: Âvōta
udm: Авокадо
Ukrainian: Авокадо, Алігаторова груша
Urdu: مگر ناشپاتی
Uyghur: ئاۋكادۇر
Uzbek: Avakado
Vietnamese: Bơ, Lê dầu, Quả bơ
vro: Avokaado
war: Abokado
Welsh: Afocado
wuu: 鳄梨
xmf: Ავოკადო
Yiddish: אוואקאדא, אוואקאדאו

Synonyms

Laurus indica Sieber ex Nees
Laurus persea L.
Persea americana var. americana
Persea americana var. angustifolia Miranda
Persea americana var. aztec Popenoe
Persea americana var. drimyfolia (Cham. & Schltdl.) S.F.Blake
Persea americana var. floccosa (Mez) Scora
Persea americana var. guatemalensis (L.O.Williams) Scora
Persea americana var. leiogyna (S.F.Blake) H.P.Kelsey & Dayton
Persea americana var. nubigena (L.O.Williams) L.E.Kopp
Persea americana var. steyermarkii (C.K.Allen) Scora
Persea americana var. tolimanensis (Zentmyer & Schieber) Scora
Persea americana var. toltec Popenoe
Persea americana var. zentmyeri (Schieber & B.Bergh) Scora
Persea drimyfolia Schltdl. & Cham.
Persea edulis Raf.
Persea floccosa Mez
Persea gigantea L.O.Williams
Persea gratissima C.F.Gaertn.
Persea gratissima var. drimyfolia (Cham. & Schltdl.) Mez
Persea gratissima var. macrophylla Meisn.
Persea gratissima var. melanocarpa Phil.
Persea gratissima var. oblonga Meisn.
Persea gratissima var. praecox Nees
Persea gratissima var. vulgaris Meisn.
Persea leiogyna S.F.Blake
Persea macrocarpa Raf.
Persea nubigena L.O.Williams
Persea nubigena var. guatemalensis L.O.Williams
Persea paucitriplinervia Lundell
Persea persea (L.) Cockerell
Persea praecox Poepp. ex Nees
Persea steyermarkii C.K.Allen
Persea sylvestris A.Rich.
Persea tolimanensis Zentmyer & Schieber
Persea zentmyeri Schieber & B.Bergh

Flowers

In flower: January to May, August to September, November (from 36 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Jhonatan Matheus, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: johnyochum, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Jake Rehage, CC0, from iNaturalist
LeavesPhoto: jamie-aa, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: M.t.lifshits, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Rios Kilder, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Zihao Wang, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nico Ambiental, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Kevin Faccenda, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Persea

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.