Avocados Avocados Avocados
Golden Gate Palms now sells Avocado trees and other sub-tropical fruit trees!
Many varieties in stock and countless others available by special order.
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| Ripe Mexicola Grande Fruit- Ready for Harvest | The most cold hardy avocados, picked from Gary Gragg's trees in Lafayette. From left, Bacon, Mexicola Grande, Zutano & Fuerte avocados. |
Read Gary's article (among others) on Avocados written for the Bay Area Newsgroup.
Ordering
Three sizes are offered.
5 gallon is a starter size and will range from 3'-5' tall and are priced at $38.50 ($48.50 for 5 gal Sir Prize Variety when available)
15 gallon trees will range in height from 5'-7' and are priced at $95
24" Boxed Trees will range in height from 6'-8' tall and are priced at $375
Avocado Varieties and Information
The following avocados are recommended for Bay Area Growing. They are listed from most cold hardy to least cold hardy. Whenever possible, protect young trees from frost until established. Trees will gain hardiness with age and size.
HOMEGROWN SEEDLINGS WILL ALMOST ALWAYS PRODUCE INFERIOR FRUIT WHEN COMPARED TO NAMED CULTIVARS. THEY ALSO TAKE 7-10 YEARS TO FRUIT WHEREAS NAMED CULTIVARS HAVE THE ABILITY TO FRUIT RIGHT AWAY.
There are 5 major climatic zones in the Bay Area :
Zone 17 along the coast and Bay with little or no frost- All of the trees below can be grown in zone 17
Zone 16 in the hills above zone 17- This zone generally has more heat but more frost than zone 17. Although the more tender varities should do well, it's safest to go with trees hardy to at least 26 degrees
Zone 15 away from the Bay and Ocean- This zone sees more frost and heat than 16 so it is best to go with even hardier varieties such as those that are hardy to 24 degrees
Zone 14 is in the protected valleys around the Bay and see the most frost and heat- Here it is safest to go with varieties that are hardy to 20 degrees.
Zone 5 is the montane zone of the Bay Area. No Avocados should be attempted here.
However, all of that being said, many people grow more tender varieties outside their recommended zones by protecting the trees when they are young and utilizing favorable micro-climates on their particular site. Trees will gain hardiness with age and size.
To find out what zone you are in go to Sunset's zone finder and click "find my sunset climate zone" and then click on your location to see where you lie within the zones.
When selecting a variety, to increase fruit production it is recommended to have both an A type and B Type flower cultivar, even if you have to plant them in the same hole because of lack of space.
| Type | Flower Type | Hardiness in Degrees F | 5 Gal | 15 Gal | 24 in. Box | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexicola | A | 18 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Mexicola Grande | A | 20 | yes | no | no | see below |
| Stuart | B | 20 | yes | no | no | see below |
| Bacon | B | 22 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Zutano | B | 23 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Fuerte | B | 24 | yes | yes | yes | see below |
| Sir Prize | B | 25 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Lamb Hass | A | 26 | yes | no | no | see below |
| Hass | A | 26 | yes | yes | yes | see below |
| Pinkerton | A | 27 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Reed | A | 27 | yes | yes | no | see below |
| Littlecado | A | 27 | yes | yes | no | see below |
Notes:
Mexicola - Tall and spreading, vigorous. Fruit- small, 5 oz. Skin- paper-thin, purplish black. Flesh- highest quality. Hardiest cv. known. Recovers rapidly from freeze. Defoliated at 20° F
Mexicola Grande- 5 gal @ $35. Tall and spreading- similar to Mexicola. Fruit 15% - 25% larger than Mexicola with better seed/flesh ratio. Edible black skin. High quality, buttery flesh. Hardy to 20° F bears Sep-Jan
Stuart- semi dwarf tree, bears aug-nov.
Bacon- Tree broad, productive. Fruit small to medium, to 12 oz. Hardy for Bay Area. Bears November-January.
Zutano - Tree columnar. Fruit small to medium, to 10 oz. elongated smooth green, resembles Fuerte but fibrous. Hardy for Bay Area. Bears November- January.
Fuerte- Tree open, spreading, tall. Fruit large to very large, 16 oz., thin dark green skin. Flesh good. Formerly standard cv. of California industry. Tends to bear in alternate years. Bears Nov-Feb.
Sir Prize - 5 gal @ $48.50, 15 gal @ $125. Hass-like but with larger fruit, bears 4-6 weeks earlier than Hass (Feb-Oct). More cold hardy than Hass.
Lamb Hass- Hass -like but later bearing and more upright. Same cold hardiness, very productive. Bears April-Nov.
Hass- Most popular commercial Avocado. Thick skin. Bears March-October
Pinkerton - Tree dense, productive. Fruit variable in size, 7 to 12 oz., skin thick, pebbled, green. Bears November-January.
Reed - Produces delicious, large and round fruit that has a rich buttery taste. Bears June-November.
Littlecado - Tree prostrate, difficult to train, low vigor. Fruit dark green, medium, to 10 oz. Only true dwarf variety, for containers and small backyards. Hardy to 27° F. Season June-August.
Pickup
Most trees are available all year in our nursery and can be picked up in the nursery with no additional charge during our hours of operation which are 9 am to 3:30 pm Monday-Saturday. Special order trees generally take 1-3 weeks to bring into the nursery for pickup.
Delivery
We can also deliver for a fee ($25-$75 depending upon distance and whether we have orders going in that direction). We also offer Installation at the following rates: $15 for 5 gal plants, $50 for 15 gal plants, and $125 for 24" plants. Prices assume average planting conditions (no big hills to climb, no major staircases, no buried concrete or hard rock to break through etc.). A firm install price can be given at the time of delivery.
Productivity
All varieties above are grafted from mature, fruiting trees and have the ability to bear immediately, but productivity will increase with age, and size. Within 1 year of planting , 5 gal plants may produce 2-3 fruit, 15 gal plants may produce 5-7 fruit, and 24" box plants may produce 10-15 fruit. All trees are self fertile, but to dramatically increase production, mix flower types (type A with Type B etc).
Other Subtropical Fruit
If you are interested in purchasing other types of subtropical fruit, we may be able to add it to your order. Pricing will be similar to the avocado prices listed above. Fruits include Oranges, Citrus (Limes, Lemons, Mandarins, Grapefruit), Guavas, Figs, White Sapotes, Kiwi, Passion Fruit Vine, Loquat and even Bananas.
Order Placement
Please email your request and we will email you an invoice for payment. Full payment must be received by March 1 for April 1 Delivery
Cultural Information
There is some very good information listed at the California Rare Fruit Grower's Website regarding avocados. They have an excellent site with loads of useful information on fruiting plants. You may want to join the group. Here is a link to their site:
