I posted last fall on the many young avocado trees growing in my yard… and their expected demise.

Then we had a mild winter. There were still frosts, however, yet none of the young trees got even a touch of damage. I’m amazed… and starting to wonder if avocados have a greater range than advertised.

That little tree is near a towering water oak, which could explain its escape… but still… even the trees further out were unharmed.

Also, the large totally tropical avocado tree (origin: Thailand) I planted in almost full shade did fine as well:

NOT a North Florida avocado!

This is NOT a north Florida avocado! We’ll see what happens in the future. My bet is that as the hardier trees in the food forest take off, the cushioning effect of trapped warm air will increase these trees chances even in rougher winters than the one we just went through.

Time will tell… and there’s really no monetary loss even if they do kick off. Pits are free – and of course, the more things you start, the more chances there are for you to discover either a perfect spot for one of them, or more cold-hardy genes, or both. Seedlings are tough.

Trees from seed = good practice.