Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree Live Plant – Cold Hardy Grafted in 6 inch Pot

Overview

Introducing the Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree, a truly exceptional cultivar perfect for home gardeners and avocado enthusiasts. This cold hardy avocado variety is renowned for its impressive frost resistance, making it suitable for a wider range of climates than many other avocado types. Supplied as a healthy, grafted avocado plant in a 6-inch pot, it is ready to thrive in your garden. Despite its name, the Mexicola Grande produces small to medium-sized avocados, typically weighing between 0.25 and 0.75 lbs, which are up to 25% larger than its parent, the Mexicola. The fruit boasts a glossy black, paper-thin edible skin and pale yellowish-green flesh with a rich, buttery texture, making it ideal for guacamole and other culinary delights. Its vigorous, upright, and spreading growth habit also adds an attractive element to any landscape.

The Mexicola Grande is a unique avocado where even the leaves possess a pleasant anise aroma and can be used to impart a distinct flavor in Mexican recipes. This makes growing avocado trees of this variety a rewarding experience, not just for the fruit but also for its versatile foliage. Its robust nature and delicious yield ensure a bountiful harvest for years to come.

Key Benefits

The Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree offers numerous advantages for the home gardener, combining resilience with culinary excellence. Cultivating this tree provides a sustainable source of fresh, flavorful avocados right from your backyard. Here are some of its primary benefits:

• Exceptional Cold Hardiness: This avocado variety can withstand temperatures as low as 17° F, making it one of the most frost-resistant options available. This extends the possibility of growing avocado trees to cooler climates, particularly USDA Hardiness Zones 8B and above.
• Delicious Fruit Production: Enjoy small to medium-sized avocados (0.25-0.75 lb) with a rich, buttery texture and high oil content (18-20%), perfect for making gourmet guacamole.
• Edible Skin and Leaves: Unlike most avocados, the Mexicola Grande features an edible, paper-thin skin. Its leaves also have a distinctive anise aroma and can be used as a unique culinary herb in various Mexican dishes.
• Vigorous Growth Habit: The tree exhibits a strong, upright, and spreading growth habit, providing an attractive and productive addition to your garden or orchard.
• Grafted for Quicker Production: As a grafted avocado plant, it is engineered to produce fruit much faster and more reliably than seed-grown trees, ensuring you enjoy your harvest sooner.
• Disease Resistance: Generally robust, this variety tends to be resilient against common avocado tree ailments when provided with proper care, contributing to easier avocado tree care.
• Unique Culinary Versatility: Not only do the fruits offer a superb flavor profile, but the anise-scented leaves also open up new culinary possibilities, enhancing your kitchen creations.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper avocado tree care is crucial for a healthy and productive Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree. This cold hardy avocado thrives with specific attention to its environment and watering needs. When it comes to sunlight, your tree will perform best in a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. For newly planted seedlings, ensure consistent moisture. Water every alternate day for the first week, then reduce frequency to twice a week for the next 2-3 months. After establishment, water regularly but allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings. Mexicola Grande trees do not like ‘wet feet,’ so excellent drainage is absolutely essential to prevent root rot.

The ideal soil for growing avocado trees is a well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral loam. If your soil is heavy clay, amend it with organic matter like compost or pine bark to improve drainage and aeration. Fertilize your grafted avocado plant with a balanced citrus or avocado fertilizer, following the product’s instructions, typically starting in spring and continuing through summer. Protect young trees from strong winds, and ensure they are planted in USDA Hardiness Zones 8B and above to leverage their cold tolerance. While they are cold-hardy down to 17° F, extreme or prolonged freezes may still require protection for very young trees.

Pruning should focus on maintaining a strong structure and encouraging air circulation within the canopy. Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches. Monitor for common pests like avocado thrips or mites and address them promptly with organic pest control methods if possible. With diligent care, your Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree will reward you with abundant, delicious fruit.

Size & Details

The Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree we offer is a live, vigorous grafted avocado plant, cultivated for optimal growth and fruit production. It is shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a well-established root system ready for transplanting. At the time of shipment, the plant typically stands approximately 1-2 feet tall, though exact dimensions may vary slightly depending on seasonal growth. This variety is known for its moderate to fast growth rate, quickly developing into a substantial tree with an upright and spreading canopy. The mature tree can reach heights of 20-30 feet if left unpruned, making it suitable for larger gardens or as a specimen tree. For smaller spaces, regular pruning can help manage its size and shape, encouraging a more compact form.

Fruit production typically begins within 2-4 years after planting for grafted trees, much faster than seed-grown avocados which can take 7-10 years or more. The fruits are small-sized, generally weighing between 0.25 and 0.75 lb, and mature in late summer to fall. Expect good to heavy fruit production once the tree is established and mature. This makes growing avocado trees a rewarding endeavor, yielding delicious and unique fruit.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree can grow 20-30 feet tall if unpruned. However, its size can be managed with regular pruning to fit smaller garden spaces or containers.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This grafted avocado plant is shipped in a 6-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy start for your new tree. It is ready to be transplanted into a larger container or directly into the ground.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree is primarily an outdoor plant, especially given its size potential and fruit production. However, young plants can be grown indoors in a bright, sunny spot and moved outdoors as they mature, especially in colder climates for winter protection.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and fruit production, your cold hardy avocado tree needs full sun, which means at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While avocado trees require specific conditions, the Mexicola Grande is considered relatively easy to care for once established, particularly because of its cold hardiness. Consistent watering, good drainage, and proper fertilization are key to successful avocado tree care.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Mexicola Grande Avocado Tree will arrive as a healthy, live plant in a 6-inch pot, carefully packaged to ensure its safety during transit. It will have a well-developed root system and foliage.
• Q: Can I use the leaves in cooking? A: Yes, a unique feature of the Mexicola Grande is its edible leaves, which have a pleasant anise aroma. They can be used to impart a distinct flavor in various Mexican recipes.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time for growing avocado trees is typically in spring after the last frost, allowing the tree to establish itself before the summer heat. In warmer climates, it can also be planted in early fall.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: The Mexicola Grande is a cold hardy avocado, capable of withstanding temperatures as low as 17° F. It is a great option for USDA Hardiness Zones 8B and above. For zones with colder winters, protection or indoor relocation may be necessary for young trees.
• Q: How long until it produces fruit? A: As a grafted avocado plant, you can typically expect your Mexicola Grande to start producing fruit within 2-4 years after planting, depending on growing conditions and care.