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Scientists Finally Figured Out How Avocado Trees Change Sex Throughout the Day

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17.08.2026

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Scientists Finally Figured Out How Avocado Trees Change Sex Throughout the Day

Researchers say the discovery could help breeders identify avocado tree types earlier and develop better varieties for a changing climate.

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Here’s a little-known fact about that highly expensive condiment you put on your Chipotle burrito: avocado trees are constantly changing their sex. Throughout the day, an avocado tree alternates between male and female flowers. Why it does this has been a mystery for about a century.

Now, a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, may have finally figured it out.

According to UC Davis and the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,........

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