Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20260806082612/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/avocado-flowers-switch-sex-daily-now-we-know-why/

New work explains how avocado trees coordinate a complex reproductive strategy, switching every day between male and female

The study: Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado

Living their best life

I had a rudimentary knowledge of avocado flowering from being bored during COVID and growing a few avocado trees and watching some YouTube videos. I thought the male flowers opened in the morning and female opened in the afternoon. None of my plants have flowered yet, so I have not seen it in person. I didn't realize the flowers actually changed sex. Quite interesting.

It's called hermaphroditism. It especially happens when plants are stressed out. Climate change might be causing(exacerbating) this.

Goals.

No, no stress is involved for avocados, or plants in general that are hermaphrodite, and most of them are [1, 2].

Do check out this article and this study. Climate change not a factor either, it was officially observed approx 100 years ago

Botanist A. B. Stout observed this reproductive strategy as early as 1927,

and the actual study (link in the description) talks from the get go -I mean title- about
balanced polymorphism as well as the ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado.

Edit: several, for clarity

My arm feels sore right now because of climate change.

👌