Persea americana 'Hass'
Persea americana, the Avocado needs little introduction. A neo-tropical tree it has been cultivated throughout Mesoamerica for millennia. The 'Hass' cultivar originated from a Guatemalan form and is frost tender in the UK and is best grown as a houseplant, pruning it for shape. It will appreciate being placed outside in a warm sheltered spot after the frosts have past and it benefits from the increased light levels, avoiding the leggy etiolated look they can get when grown indoors year after year. In the sun, new growth takes on a coppery colour. Bring it back inside in early October and reduce the watering to a winter minimum.
I have left a few outdoors over some winters just to see what happens. It will go down to about 0C or perhaps -1C for brief periods of time but not the long periods of sub-zero temperatures that are common in the UK. Typically the top growth gets cut down by the frost but it is not uncommon for them to start growing again from the roots rather like a perennial. At the nursery we grow them in an unheated glasshouse and fleece them over the winter. They really don't like it much but it toughens them up and they start growing again once the weather warms up in Spring. The Mexican cultivars are hardier.
Additional Information
Order | Laurales |
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Family | Lauraceae |
Synonyms | Laurus persea, Persea americana var. americana, Persea americana var. angustifolia, Persea americana var. drimyfolia, Persea americana var. floccosa, Persea americana var. nubigena, Persea drimyfolia, Persea edulis, Persea floccosa, Persea gigantea, Persea gratissima, Persea gratissima var. drimyfolia, Persea gratissima var. macrophylla, Persea gratissima var. melanocarpa, Persea gratissima var. oblonga, Persea gratissima var. praecox, Persea gratissima var. vulgaris, Persea leiogyna, Persea nubigena, Persea nubigena var. guatemalensis, Persea paucitriplinervia, Persea persea, Persea steyermarkii |
Geographical Origin | Horticultural cultivar from a Guatemalan form. The type species ranges across Guatemala, Mexico and the Caribbean |
Cultivation | Fertile well-drained soil. Sunny aspect with warmth and shelter. Water well during the summer when it can be kept outdoors. Bring inside by October |
Eventual Height | If kept indoors, this cultivar is best pruned back to about 2m |
Eventual Spread | 2m |
Hardiness | Tender. Best as a houseplant over winter |
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