Avocados - Cold Hardy

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

More video fun. Unfortunately, I am not very good at it, but here you go, meet Wilma

Keith, nice video. Your garden looks like it could be in gone with the wind.

I am amazed how hardy that cado is.

Here in Modesto, Ponderosa lemons like the one in your video are pretty hardy here.... actually much more than avocados growing around here. I think that is testament to the cold hardness of your cado tree!

Jeff

[Sandy Loam]

Hello Keith.

To clarify -- Did you say that your wilma avocado remains evergreen all winter and only loses its leaves in the spring when new leaves begin to appear? Also, I wonder how giant a wilma avocado (or brazos bell avocado) eventually grows to be?

Does anyone know if a wilma avocado is more cold-hardy than an opal avocado or vice versa?

[Sandy Loam]

Interesting -- I was just reading an avocado nursery's website which says that avocado "Brazos Belle" is hardy down to the low teens, whereas avocado "Wilma" is hardy down to the mid-teens. It says that Brazos Belle is related to Wilma, but apparently this avocado nursery believes that Brazos Belle is slightly more cold-hardy.

I am not sure if I am allowed to mention the nursery's name, given the new PalmTalk rules. (The nursery probably is not an IPS member) It is an avocado nursery in Houston, Texas.

[_Keith]

Hello Keith.

To clarify -- Did you say that your wilma avocado remains evergreen all winter and only loses its leaves in the spring when new leaves begin to appear? Also, I wonder how giant a wilma avocado (or brazos bell avocado) eventually grows to be?

Does anyone know if a wilma avocado is more cold-hardy than an opal avocado or vice versa?

Wilma is indeed evergreen. Even in 2010, after 3 nights in a row in the 19-21 degree range, it only lost the tender new growth and about 25% of its leaves. If I ever get back to my source, I plan to try 'Opal'.

[Tropicdoc]

Keith one of your seedlings is now about 3 feet tall doing well. I have it in a killer micr

[Sandy Loam]

I have just abandoned my dream of growing an avocado tree after reading about the Laurel Wilt fungus (Raffaelea lauricola). You don't need to worry about it if you are located outside of the southeastern United States, but apparently it is killing avocado trees lately in the southeast. From what I have read, the exotic beetle which carries the fungus entered inside a piece of imported wood near Savannah, Georgia in 2003. The beetle spread from Savannah and killed its first tree in Jacksonville, FL in 2007. By 2011, the beetle had made its way down to Miami-Dade County and was starting to kill commercial avocado groves. As of right now, the beetle and fungus that it carries has been found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and primarily Florida.

I am afraid of planting a tree that could be dead in ten years. I inquired about planting an avocado tree two years ago, but a certain North Florida fruits-only nursery advised against it because of a new fungus. Laurel Wilt is what they must have been referring to. Those people are experts, so I will follow their advice.

Glen in California, go for it! Keith and Tropicdoc in Louisiana, the clock may be ticking for y'all.

[Tropicdoc]

From my understanding those cold hardy numbers only apply after the tree has formed brown wood... A tender green plant will not survive hard freezes. I plan on protecting my avocados until I see some brown wood. For what its worth I had a hass come back from the ground after 21 F.

[tank]

I currently have an opal and a wilma variety. Both are doing well and the wilma has about twenty fruits (after dropping about half). I am aware of laurel wilt and am willing to take a chance. I looooove avocados...

[tank]

[KsLouisiana]

On 6/17/2015 at 4:26 PM, _Keith said:

 

Wilma is indeed evergreen. Even in 2010, after 3 nights in a row in the 19-21 degree range, it only lost the tender new growth and about 25% of its leaves. If I ever get back to my source, I plan to try 'Opal'.

Hey Keith! How are your avocados doing in your climate? I'm in Lake charles and have a "lila" tree in the ground. It's been going string for a year now. Wondering what your experience has been through the years. Do you protect it? Thanks for any tips!

[_Keith]

On 5/9/2023 at 12:21 PM, KsLouisiana said:

Hey Keith! How are your avocados doing in your climate? I'm in Lake charles and have a "lila" tree in the ground. It's been going string for a year now. Wondering what your experience has been through the years. Do you protect it? Thanks for any tips!

Winters here for the last 13 years have been quite brutal.  I eventually lost that Avocado to a 16 degree wet freeze.  It has made it to 16 feet tall. and made many Avocados  I almost replaced it, but glad I didn't because these winters just kept coming and coming.  I even lost a 30'+ Washingtonia robusta and my 25' tall queen that  had survived many so many bad freezes.I thought it was bullet proof