Healthful avocado trees (Persea americana ) don’t grow gradually. In reality, roughly 36 inches each year grow. Pruning branches out to try and control expansion promotes the tree. Pruning also eradicates the abundance of leaves the tree demands for avoidance and return of sunscald. Avocado trees provide shade and only produce fruit in sites with full sun.
Dwarf Trees
A potential solution to the speedy growth of avocado trees at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11 is planting dwarf trees. They don’t grow as tall as avocado trees, but still grow at a rate of approximately 36 inches each year. The most productive and best exterior rainbow avocado tree assortment is”Gwen.” It does well in containers and develops 14 feet tall. “Whitsell” reaches 12 feet tall, bears fruit every other year and generally just does well outside in containers or in a greenhouse.
Short Avocado Trees
The variety drymifolia and the cultivar”Mexicola” typically grow 35 feet tall, but some specimens of both of these trees have grown 72 feet tall. Both have reduced canopies that form an oblong, curved or umbrella shape. Drymifolia has expansion, resists oak root canal and develops in USDA hardiness zones 9 and 10. “Mexicola” bears small fruit with top quality flesh and contains large seeds. It’s the hardiest cultivar recovers rapidly from frost damage and known. “Mexicola” defoliates at 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the trunk expires at 17 degrees Fahrenheit and it does best in USDA hardiness zones 8a through 10.
Thin-Skinned Fruit
“Duke” and”Fuerte” have thin-skinned fruit and generally develop 50 feet tall, but some specimens of both of these trees have attained 72 feet tall. Both have curved, oval or umbrella-shaped canopies. “Duke” has branches that resist breaking in temperate places as well as the fruit has excellent flesh. It develops in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 10a and recovers from frosts down to 22 degrees Fahrenheit. “Fuerte” bears large fruit with good flesh, but occasionally only in alternate years. It resists frost down and develops in USDA hardiness zones 8.
Thick-Skinned Fruit
“Hass” and”Pinkerton” have thick-skinned fruit and generally develop 50 feet tall, but some specimens of both of these trees have grown 72 feet tall. “Hass” bears medium-sized fruit with great flesh that are the current industry standard. It’s more sensitive to damage from weather and only resists temperatures down to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. “Pinkerton” prolifically creates variable sized fruit. It resists frost damage to 30 degrees Fahrenheit better than”Hass” does, also develops in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10.