“Bought at Home Depot on a whim; struggled 2.5 years, then exploded in year 3.”
Background
A natural Mexican-Guatemalan hybrid seedling discovered in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, and introduced to California in 1911 by Carl Schmidt. It was the sole survivor of a severe 1913-14 Southern California frost, earning the name 'Fuerte' (Spanish for strong). It built the California avocado industry and dominated until Hass displaced it for shipping reasons. The UA arboretum notes avocado has been a dietary staple for over 9,000 years, cultivated since around 8000 BCE, with its name from the Nahuatl 'ahuacatl.'
Distinguishing traits
Pear-shaped fruit with smooth, thin green skin that stays green when ripe; creamy, nutty flesh with 12-18% oil. Type B flowers, an excellent cross-pollinator for Type A varieties like Hass and Reed. Broad, vigorous, spreading tree; tends toward alternate (biennial) bearing. Winter-spring harvest. The UA arboretum describes avocado as a low-branching evergreen tree with leathery, anise-scented leaves and large clusters of greenish-yellow winter flowers.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- Low chill requirement; not limiting in the desert.
- Cold hardiness
- One of the more cold-tolerant commercial avocados, tolerating brief dips to about 27°F; more cold-hardy than Hass. The UA arboretum gives USDA zones 9a-10b (20-35°F), noting frost tolerance varies by race: Mexican types to 20°F, Guatemalan to 28°F, West Indian to 32°F.
- Heat tolerance
- Good heat tolerance, widely grown in hot inland California districts; still protect young trunks from sunburn.
- Water
- Deep watering on a regular schedule; let the top inches dry between waterings. Sensitive to salts; flush periodically in AZ water conditions. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate and recommends well-draining, aerated, high-organic soil around pH 5-5.8.
- Soil
- Well-draining loam, pH 6.0-7.0. Mound planting helps in heavy clay or caliche areas.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun once established; young trees benefit from afternoon shade cloth and whitewashed trunks in desert heat.
Where to buy
- Monrovia (wholesale; sold through retail garden centers)