“'Done really well for me.' Cold-hardy type pulling its weight.”
Background
A Mexican-Guatemalan hybrid originated in 1926 in Fallbrook, California, under R.L. Ruitt's care and registered in 1932. It ranked among the leading commercial cultivars in California, grown where it was too cold for Hass, and is widely used as a pollinator tree and rootstock. 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 thin, shiny light-green skin; watery flesh with moderate oil (about 14-22%); considered fair flavor rather than exceptional. Type B flowers; a valued cross-pollinator for Type A varieties (pairs well with Hass and Mexicola Grande). Tall, upright tree; consistent, reliable producer. Winter harvest (December-February in California). 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 requirement (about 150 hours per one nursery spec); not limiting in the desert.
- Cold hardiness
- One of the more cold-tolerant varieties, USDA zone 9a and up; reported hardy through freezes in the low-to-mid 20s°F in California trials. 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
- Noted as heat-resistant as well as cold-resistant; still protect young trunks and branches from desert sunburn during establishment.
- Water
- Moderate to high water need; deep, regular irrigation; salt-sensitive, so flush periodically under AZ conditions. The UA arboretum rates water use as moderate and recommends well-draining, aerated, high-organic soil around pH 5-5.8.
- Soil
- Loamy, well-drained soil, pH 6.0-7.5. Avoid heavy clay and caliche.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun to filtered sun once established; afternoon shade cloth for young trees in extreme heat.
Where to buy
- Garden Plant Nursery (gardenplantnursery.shop; grafted Zutano listing verified)