Thank you fireduck! Luckily they have a good return policy so I can keep researching and cancel or return the tree if needed. I will check out the link and keep researching.

So Fireduck I think you were looking at the "Cold Hardy" Avocado tree on their site. The Hass Avocado on their site says it's cold hardy down to 26 once established. Is that not accurate either?

We don't really get below freezing here though... so usually not an issue. Maybe once in a blue moon we will get a night or two in January. But with old style C9 Christmas lights it should be fine right? Here's the link to the Hass on Fast-Growing-Trees... http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Hass-Avocado-Trees.htm

I have bought and grown apples, citrus, raspberries and other stuff in the past from them and been really happy. They often ship Four Winds Growers for citrus.

Four Winds Growers is a popular brand where I'm at in California. On the Four Winds Growers site it says that Hass is a Mexican A variety (not guatemalan).... so now I'm confused! Here's their site. https://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/fruit-trees-vines-and-berries/avocados.html

What do you think? Should I just stick with the Hass? I have the room. I have a pretty sweet set up for the tree. It's not mexico... but it should be pretty happy here.

Is there a specific variety or grower that you recommend instead? I'm in zone 9b. Sunset zone 15. Lots of experience with other fruit and citrus trees, roses, gardening... but not with avocado. Thank you for your help!

As a reference... key lime, bears lime, meyer lemon, eureka lemon, navel oranges, grapefruit (I think oro blanco and marsh) all grow really well here. So maybe that gives an idea about the climate and growing conditions?

A few apples do grow here too.... but none of the good ones. It's not cold enough. I don't have those trees anymore. Too messy and we just didn't eat them enough.

Also... just looked it up and the average lows in my area are 40s and 50s throughout the year. BUT... there have been record lows in the 20s in the 1960s and 1970s. Not recently. I remember a few nights every year though were it was an issue. Usually December and January. Christmas lights always worked with my citrus when they were babies. I figured that would work with an Avocado too. ???

cori...perhaps my info from "fast growing tree" was a different seller...there are lots of sites with that name on the web. Don't get me wrong...Hass is a good avocado. I have 3 of them. They have derived from Guatemala not Mexico. Therefor, they are more tender than Mexicans. I am not sure about your area getting only down to the 40's or 50's in winter (9b). You need to be concerned about your 4 or 5 coldest nights of the year. That is where the danger lies. Lights in the tree does help a bit, and throwing a tarp over small trees helps even more. I know nothing about the quality/price of their trees...so I can not comment on that. If you have good experience with them....I am sure they are honest. You can sure give it a shot. Here is a good place to fine info (University of Calif)...they are not trying to sell you anything. haha Ed of Somis http://ceventura.ucanr.edu/Gardening/Garden_Info/avocado_questions/

As a reference escondido ca grows huge quantities of avocados. Check their annual climate.

So the Hass avocado tree from fastgrowingtrees arrived today and I liked the look of it so I decided to take a chance and keep it. They sent it out from SC on Monday and it arrived Saturday here in CA. Quite a bit of time to be in transit, but it still looked really good! It was packaged well. It was a little under 6 ft. Perfect since I ordered a 5-6 ft tree. I will let you know how it does over the winter and through the upcoming seasons.

In the box...

Out of the box...

Cardboard mulch on top and packaging helped to retain potting soil in the pot...

In the ground (actually in the corner of a 6 foot wide raised bed with gopher wire and an open bottom, so really still the ground)...

I took off about 6 inches just because the growth didn't look as good as the rest and figured it would help the little tree get established if I took off a little. Also watered with vitamin B1. The soil is good for citrus, but I haven't mulched yet. I plan to string him with C9 Christmas lights, but don't need to yet since our temps are still pretty high. If there's anything I'm missing to give this youngster a chance please let me know!

We're also growing Avocado Trees in Los Angeles

Good luck with the teee. I am curious why you didn't just go to Home Depot or Lowe's to get a Hass, it is the most common variety typically available and the cost would be much lower.

For this tree, there aren't lot of leaves so the trunk is exposed to sunlight which can be very bad for it. I would paint the trunk or cover it with something to block the sun, even in the winter.

Also depending on where you are exactly, you might get dry and hot or cold wind, and this tree is fully exposed in the open so you need to be ready to protect it until it is really established.

If you are still looking for a tree that can handle the cold without protection, I recommend zutano, it is a beautiful hardly tree with light tasting avocados.

Thanks Matt. The Home Depot and Lowes stores around here actually are pretty limited compared to what I read is offered at others throughout the U.S. (from these forums). We have specialty nurseries in the area though and I actually found some good Hass (and zutano) trees at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore, so if this one croaks I will get one from there. I had good experiences with Fast Growing Trees in the past with some other fruit trees at a different garden, so I decided to go for it. The Mexicolas they sent me are great. This Hass isn't the best... I agree.

All the local nurseries in the Modesto Area along with Home Depot have really good selections on Avocado trees. Next spring it would be worth making the trip from Livermore to Modesto. I have 8 different varieties that are really healthy trees from my area.

Hmmmmm.... It might. But I live about an hour away from Livermore, so it would be quite a ways. Alden Lane nursery in Livermore is amazing. When or if I'm ever getting citrus or avocado trees again I will probabaly just go there. I really like supporting local nurseries when I can. I just jumped the gun and ordered from Fast Growing Trees before I realized Alden had so many large avocados. I checked the other nurseries closer to me and they had very sad looking trees, if any.

I'm not upset about it through because the trees are all doing good so far. The Mexicola trees look really happy. This Hass is a bit of a guzzler and seems to need A LOT of water in my fast draining raised bed, but besides that he's doing good now.

You have some good advice here...especially from Matt. Buying quality trees from an established grower is always best. You will have lots of time and some money invested after a few years. Rootstocks are important...and here is the rub...when it comes to buying from certain growers. That raised bed looks like a good place to start a tree...but keep in mind that most avo trees grow very large over time. PS Continue your research and take your time making decisions. I have learned a lot in 40 years of growing avos. There is some good info online...especially from the UC colleges. Zutano is indeed very cold-hearty...but it is not regarded as being a quality eating variety.