Hass Avocado: Zones, Size, Flavor and Where to Buy

Hass is the avocado most people know, and the leading commercial variety in California (UC Riverside). The tree is mostly Guatemalan, hardy to about 26°F, and bears medium fruit with thick, pebbled, coppery-purple skin. It is an A-type flower and ripens from February through June or July at Irvine, California. This page covers Hass only. For planting and care, read our avocado tree guide, and to compare it with other types, see the avocado varieties guide.

USDA zones

10–11 · zone 9 only at the warmest sites · pot elsewhere

Sun

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Difficulty

Medium

Lifecycle

Perennial

Origin

The Americas

Container friendly

Yes

Cold limit

Hardy to 26°F (−3°C) (CRFG)

Race

Mostly Guatemalan

Flower type

A (UC Riverside)

Fruit size

6–14 oz (UC Riverside) · medium, to 12 oz (CRFG)

Season

February to June or July at Irvine, California

Time to fruit

Grafted tree about 3–4 yrs

Hass fruit

The California Rare Fruit Growers describe Hass as a medium-sized fruit, to 12 oz, with thick, pebbled, coppery-purple skin. UC Riverside lists fruit at 6–14 oz. The flesh is good, with about 19% oil (CRFG). The pebbled skin makes Hass easy to spot at the store, and it darkens as the fruit softens. See how to tell if an avocado is ripe for the other signs.

Like every avocado, Hass will not ripen on the tree (UF/IFAS). Pick mature fruit and let it soften at room temperature, which takes about 3–10 days (UF/IFAS 3–8, UC Riverside 7–10). Fruit keeps best on the tree, so harvest only what you need (UC IPM).

The Hass tree

CRFG describe the tree as rather open and not tall. Do not take that to mean small: Texas A&M says an unpruned avocado tree can reach 40–80 ft, so leave room for a big canopy, or prune lightly. UC IPM says pruning is not required for productivity, and that you can keep a tree smaller by pruning just before bloom or just after fruit set. UF/IFAS suggests after harvest, so timing depends on your region. Avoid heavy cuts.

Hass was found as a chance seedling by Rudolph Hass at La Habra Heights, California. It was found in the 1920s and introduced in the 1930s (CRFG, UC Riverside). Sources differ on its parentage. CRFG call it Guatemalan, while Texas A&M calls it a Guatemalan and Mexican hybrid. Either way, it is mostly Guatemalan.

Growing Hass: zones, pollination and pots

In the ground. Hass is hardy to 26°F (CRFG), which is warmer than the hardiest Mexican-race types, and young trees are less hardy than mature ones. That makes it a gamble in much of zone 9 and a better fit in zones 10–11. If you garden in zone 9 and want the surest fruit, choose a Mexican type such as Mexicola instead. Wherever you plant, choose full sun (UF/IFAS) and well-drained soil, because UC IPM warns that poorly drained soil may lead to root rots.

In a pot. A young grafted tree can live in a large pot, which lets you move it under cover before a freeze. Our avocado tree in a pot guide covers pot size, watering and pruning. A potted tree stays smaller, but a grafted tree still needs about 3–4 years before it fruits.

Pollination. UC Riverside lists Hass as an A type. UF/IFAS says varieties differ in how much self- or cross-pollination they need to set fruit, and names Waldin, Lula and Taylor as varieties that fruit well alone, not Hass. If you have room, plant a B-type tree such as Fuerte or Bacon within reach, so that the flowers open at complementary times.

How Hass compares with other avocado varieties

Choose Hass if you are in a warm, frost-free spot and want the best-known fruit. Choose Mexicola if cold is the worry, since the California Rare Fruit Growers call it the hardiest cultivar known. Choose Fuerte or Bacon if you want a B-type partner for Hass, or a different season. Bacon is described as columnar and taking less room than umbrella-shaped types (UC Riverside).

Where to buy a Hass avocado tree

Buy a grafted tree from a nursery in your region, or from a plant sale run by your county extension office or a local fruit-growers club. Check that the label says Hass, and ask whether the tree was grown in your zone. Plant in spring after your last freeze so the tree has a full warm season to settle in. A Hass tree from a seed will not match the fruit you ate, so a grafted tree is the way to get true Hass.

Once you have the tree, our avocado varieties guide can help you decide whether a second variety is worth the space.