DEAR JOAN: We have an avocado tree in our yard and have waited several years to see the tree bear fruit. Last year we had nine beautiful avocados, which we harvested in early March. This year ...

Irishman Sir Hans Sloane called it an avocado in 1696 in a Jamaican-plants catalog. He also dubbed the avocado tree the “alligator pear tree.” 4. It’s relatively new to the United States.