India’s Oldest Avocado Tree Beats Andhra Pradesh, Thrives in Kerala’s ‘Avocado City’

When you stroll through the rolling hills of Wayanad, it’s easy to miss a silent sentinel that has been watching over the land for more than eighty years. That sentinel is an avocado tree, and contrary to popular belief, it isn’t rooted in Andhra Pradesh at all – it calls the modest village of Ambalavayal in Kerala its home.

Back in 2025, Kerala’s Agriculture Minister announced Ambalavayal as the state’s inaugural “Avocado City”. The accolade wasn’t handed out on a whim; it was the result of decades of farming tradition, meticulous research, and a genuine love for the buttery fruit. The village houses the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) of Kerala Agricultural University – a campus that first sprouted in the 1940s, during the tail‑end of World War II, when the Madras government set up the farm for ex‑servicemen.

RARS has grown into a hub for high‑range agricultural studies. Among the many crops it nurtures, avocado enjoys a place of honor. Researchers cultivate varieties such as Kallar Round, Fuerte, Purple Hybrid, and Pollock, constantly tweaking techniques to boost yield and disease resistance. The station’s labs hum with experiments, yet the oldest tree on its grounds remains a living, breathing reminder of how far the fruit’s journey has come in India.

The tree itself is a modest‑looking specimen, its bark weathered by time, its branches heavy with the familiar, dark‑green fruit. Oral histories and archival records suggest it was planted shortly after the farm’s establishment in the 1940s – making it arguably the oldest avocado tree in the country. At a time when avocados were a rarity on Indian plates, this lone tree was already bearing fruit, silently sowing the seeds of curiosity among locals.

Today, avocados have surged in popularity across Kerala, riding the wave of health‑conscious diets and the global hype for “green gold”. But for the people of Ambalavayal, the fruit isn’t just a trendy snack; it’s a heritage. The old tree stands as a symbol of resilience, research, and the village’s deep‑rooted bond with the crop. Its presence has helped shape the identity of the region, prompting the state to crown it the first official Avocado City.

So next time you slice open a creamy avocado, remember that somewhere in the misty highlands of Wayanah, an ancient tree still watches over its descendants, reminding us that history sometimes grows quietly, branch by branch.