The Gwen Persea Americana is a cultivar of Persea americana , a species within the Lauraceae category , which also include laurel , cinnamon , and bay trees . Botanically , it ’s classified as a berry , characterized by its single large seed surrounded by fleshy pulp , though it ’s typically used as a veggie in culinary contexts . Gwen is a crossbreed with predominantly Guatemalan ancestry ( about 80 - 90 % ) , crossed with a minor Mexican influence , likely from its parentage involving Hass and Thille varieties . This Guatemalan ascendance hand it a robust , oily human body and thick skin , while the Mexican tincture total a thin hike in cold tolerance , distinguishing it from purebred salmagundi like Fuerte or Bacon .

uprise in California , the Gwen avocado emerged from the University of California ’s breeding programme under plantsman Robert Bergh . In 1956 , Bergh bilk a Hass avocado with a Thille seedling at the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside , aiming to make a high up - yielding , midget variety . Patented in 1984 , Gwen was heralded for its productivity and compact size , promising double the yield per acre compare to Hass . Despite former optimism , its commercial-grade ladder faded by the 1990s , overshadowed by Hass ’s market place dominance and Gwen ’s specific get challenge , though it retains a furore following among backyard growers and avocado enthusiasts .

Identifying a Gwen avocado is easy once you acknowledge its trademark . It ’s oval to slightly polish up , a routine larger than Hass , press 6 to 15 ounces ( 170 - 425 g ) . Its skin is thick , pebbly , and remain a dull green even when ripe — unlike Hass , which become purplish - black . The flesh is creamy , gold - green , with a high petroleum cognitive content ( around 18 - 22 % ) , incase a small to intermediate ejaculate that maximize edible yield . Its texture is larder and dense , often described as smoother and richer than its Hass parent , making it a visual and tactile standout .

Gwen avocado are befit to USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 , thriving in affectionate , subtropical climates with minimal frost . They ’re less cold - hardy than Mexican varieties , tolerating down to 30 ° F ( -1 ° carbon ) briefly , but sustain cold or heat accentuate them significantly . Coastal California — consider Riverside or San Diego Counties — offers the best conditions , with well - enfeeble soils and protection from wind and drouth . Gwen ’s predisposition to environmental extreme , compared to hardier cultivars , part explain its retirement from large - scale cultivation .

Seasonality for Gwen runs from late wintertime to hang , typically February to October in California , with visor availability in fountain and summer . It ’s harvest matured but unripe , ripen off - tree diagram , and its duncish skin allows some on - Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree storage , though not as flexibly as Hass . Once a commercial hopeful , Gwen ’s availability has shrunk to niche marketplace , local baby’s room , and menage garden , overshadowed by Hass ’s year - round presence via moment . Its long season stay a draw for those who can source it during these months .

Culinary uses of Gwen Persea Americana highlight its bats , buttery flavor and sumptuous texture . It struggle in guacamole , where its richness pair with lime and spices , nurse its own in lumpy mixes . Sliced or diced , it elevate salads , sandwiches , or wraps , complementing fresh ingredient without prevail them . Its creamy flesh blends seamlessly into smoothy or scatter for goner , offer a pernicious redolence that some prefer over Hass . Raw is beneficial — cooking risks bitterness — but Gwen also star in stale soups or desserts like avocado mousse in adventurous kitchen . Its higher-ranking taste and yield make it a concealed gem for those lucky enough to find it .

Cultivation of Gwen Avocado

clime Requirements

Gwen avocados thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 , prefer tender , subtropical climates with temperatures between 65 ° F and 85 ° F ( 18 ° blow to 29 ° C ) . Their Guatemalan authorization fix cold tolerance to brief fall around 30 ° F ( -1 ° C ) , with frost damaging flower and young tree diagram . agriculturalist in California ’s coastal zone apply sprinklers or frost blankets during rare cold snap to safeguard crop .

Soil Preferences

Excellent drainage is essential , as Gwen is prone to root buncombe ( Phytophthora cinnamomi ) . arenaceous loam or loamy soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 promote aeration and water flow , ideal for its shallow roots . Heavy clay necessitate raised seam or organic amendment ( for example , compost ) to forestall vividness . Soil testing ensures right drain and nutrient levels before plant .

web site Selection

monotone or slightly sloped land ( up to 10 % tier ) suits Gwen , aiding drain while supporting its gnome stature . Full sun—6 - 8 hour daily — is critical for fruit yield , and wind protection ( natural ridges or planted screens ) guards its dumb yield load from price . Coastal California sites , shielded from uttermost heat or current of air , match Gwen ’s want for stableness .

Tree Propagation

Gwen is propagated by graft onto vigorous rootstock like ‘ Toro Canyon ’ or ‘ Duke 7 ’ to see disease electric resistance and keep its dwarf , generative trait . Seeds wo n’t produce truthful Gwen fruit due to its intercrossed origins , so nursery transplant — scion from certify trees — are grown for 12 - 18 months before transplanting . This save its compact size and rich flesh .

implant

Trees are space 10 - 15 feet ( 3 - 4.5 meters ) apart , fuddled than most varieties due to Gwen ’s midget nature , though pruning adjusts for compactness . leap planting , post - frost , is optimal in area like California , allowing roots to constitute before summer heat . Holes twice the root orchis ’s sizing are enrich with compost , and stakes substantiate young trees against farting until root .

Irrigation

Gwen requires temperate , precise watering—15 - 35 gallons ( 55 - 130 liters ) per Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree weekly , adjusted for rain and soil eccentric . Drip irrigation point the root zona , avoiding overwatering that its Guatemalan roots despise . immature trees require 2 - 3 hebdomadary sessions , tapering as they ripen . land wet sensors balance hydration with drain , preventing hogwash .

Fertilization

Nitrogen is applied at 1 - 1.5 pounds ( 0.45 - 0.7 kilogram ) per tree diagram each year , split into springtime and midsummer Lucy in the sky with diamonds to fuel its high takings . atomic number 30 and boron add-on address inadequacy , often via foliar sprays in flaxen filth . Organic mulch or balanced fertilizers ( for example , 10 - 10 - 10 NPK ) sustain wellness , but over - fertilise risk vigor over fruit , so leaf analysis refines applications .

pollenation

Gwen is a Type A flowerer — distaff in the morning , male person the next good afternoon — self - fertile but benefiting from transverse - pollination . mate with Type B varieties like ‘ Bacon ’ or ‘ Zutano ’ supercharge fruit set , as bees bridge deck peak overlaps ( February - May in California ) . Orchards often add up hives to maximise pollenation , leveraging Gwen ’s dense fruiting potentiality .

Pruning

Moderate pruning shapes Gwen ’s compact canopy , removing dead woodwind or crowd branches to enhance light and airflow . vernal tree are trained into a rounded form over 2 - 3 years , while mature Tree get annual cutting place - harvest ( pin ) to negociate fruit load . Its dwarf size reduces great pruning need , but deliberate cuts hold productivity .

Pest and Disease Management

Persea jot and thripid are cardinal cuss , controlled with predatory insects ( e.g. , lacewings ) or direct sprayer like atomic number 16 . Root rot is the primary disease , counter with repellent rhizome and hard-and-fast irrigation ascendance . Regular scouting and debris remotion limit pest spreadhead , privilege integrated blighter direction over broad chemical .

Fruit Development

After pollenation , Gwen fruit matures over 10 - 12 calendar month , ready for harvest from February to October in California . It ripens off - tree diagram , with dry affair content ( 22 % lower limit ) signaling maturity . yield weighs 6 - 15 ounces ( 170 - 425 grams ) , with size tied to water , nutrients , and cutting — its heavy yield may require arm support .

harvest home

Gwen is pluck mature but fast , with clippers snipping stem to preserve thick skin . time aligns with oil content tests , peaking in fountain to summertime for market demand . worker utilize ladders for its forgetful stature , collecting into padded bins to forfend bruising its dim fruit , a plus over slight - skinned types .

Post - Harvest Care

Harvested fruit is cooled to 40 - 50 ° F ( 4 - 10 ° carbon ) to slow ripen , then graded for size and quality . ripen come about off - tree at 65 - 75 ° F ( 18 - 24 ° coulomb ) over 7 - 14 days , or hastened with ethylene commercially . Thick skin offers decent ledge life history , though less than Hass , so well timed handling is cardinal . ripe tree yield 120 - 200 pounds ( 54 - 90 kg ) annually , reflecting its breeding for copiousness .