Everything You Need To Know about Hass Avocado Trees

Hass avocados are the most popular avocados out there—these rich, creamy, pebble-skinned fruits account for about three-quarters of the avocados eaten worldwide.

While farmers and grocery stores relish these fruits for their impressive shelf life, there’s nothing better than a home-grown Hass avocado.

With the right conditions and a little work, your Hass avocado tree will bear nutritious fruit in about five years. We’ll discuss how Hass avocados differ from other varieties and explain how to plant and care for your own tree.

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History

The Hass avocado comes from a specific cultivar of the Persea americana tree and has a compelling history.

Before Hass avocados hit the scene, the Fuerte avocado—a milder version descended from earlier cultivars in Mexico and Central America—was the most popular. By the 1900s, Fuertes had spread to the U.S.

Postman and budding horticulturist Rudolph Hass thought he had purchased Fuerte avocado seedlings in the 1920s. After planting them, the tree didn’t fruit for a long time. When it finally did, Hass discovered a bumpy, thick-skinned, rough-textured fruit unlike what he’d expected. Despite his urge to chop the tree down, his children were fans of the nutty, creamy fruit and convinced him to keep it. In 1935, Hass patented the Hass avocado. Every one since is a descendant of that very tree, which died in 2002.

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Appearance

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Hass Avocado Tree Specifications

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Hardiness Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones illustrate the regions where specific plant types thrive. There are 11 Zones in total across the U.S. Hass avocado trees thrive outdoors in Zones 9-11, well-suited to warm climates from southern California along the Gulf Coast through Florida. They cannot tolerate extremely cold temperatures—of those areas, it gets the coldest in Zone 9, so it is best to plant your Hass avocado tree with southwest exposure in that region. Indoors, a potted Hass avocado tree can live in nearly any climate in the contiguous 48 states as long as it has adequate warmth and sunlight.

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Planting

When you decide to plant your Hass avocado tree, make sure to buy your seedling from a gardening center. While you can germinate a pit from a store-bought avocado, it won’t bear fruit for many years, if at all.

Here are the steps to take when planting your Hass avocado tree:

1. Remove any turfgrass, weeds, or debris within a 10-foot diameter of where you want to plant your new seedling.
2. Dig a hole about three times the diameter of the seedling’s container and 3–4 times as deep. It’s important that you don’t plant your tree too deep, as avocado trees have shallow roots.
3. Take the seedling out of its container and place it gently into the hole. You want the root ball to be slightly above the level of the surrounding soil.
4. Backfill the hole and tamp down the soil gently.

You’ll need to water your newly-planted Hass avocado tree every other day or every three days for the first week or so, and then twice weekly for the next few months. Adding fertilizer or compost is not advisable, because you want your tree to acclimate to the soil as soon as it can.

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Risks

Hass avocado trees are susceptible to various diseases and pests.

Diseases

Phytophthora, which causes root rot, fruit rot, and collar rot, spreads through watering. To help prevent this issue, make sure you have excellent soil drainage and keep your tree dry. Unfortunately, once phytophthora sets in, there is no way to save an established tree.

Pests

Common pests that disturb Hass avocado trees include avocado mites, avocado brown mites, and persea mites. You can treat all of these with neem oil. You can prevent mealybugs and avocado thrips by introducing ladybugs to the environment.

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FAQ About Hass Avocado Trees

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