Everything You Need To Know about Cold-Hardy Mexicola Avocado Trees

Avocados are delicious and nutritious. If you want to grow your own but don’t live in a tropical locale, you can get an avocado tree for cold weather. The Mexicola is a cold tolerant avocado tree, thriving in temperatures that drop as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This popular avocado variety is from the northern Mexican highlands and yields about 30 pounds of fruit every year. In this article, we’ll explain where to grow cold-hardy Mexicola avocado trees and how to care for your plant so that you have avocados for years to come.

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Mexicola Avocado Trees at a Glance

• Can tolerate cool temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit
• Smaller than standard avocados
• Thin, rich, edible skin
• Self-pollinating
• Green leaves year-round

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Appearance

This cold-hardy avocado tree has a thin trunk with gray bark and a spreading canopy of green leaves that retain their color year-round and smell like licorice or anise when crushed. Mexicola avocado trees can grow to be 15–20 feet tall with a canopy width of 5–8 feet.

The cold-climate avocado fruits are smaller than standard Hass avocados, weighing just 4–7 ounces. Their glossy green skins turn shiny purple-black when they ripen on the branch—and they’re sleek and smooth, not pebbled.

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Cold-Hardy Mexicola Avocado Tree Specifications

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Hardiness Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones note the regions where certain plants thrive based on climate and relative annual temperatures. Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees flourish in Zones 8–11 if planted outdoors, and in Zones 4–11 if they are in a container on a patio, able to be brought inside during cold snaps and seasons. This means they will thrive from South Carolina to Texas if planted outside.

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Planting

The best time to plant your cold-hardy avocado tree is between spring and summer, when the soil is warm. Choose an area that receives full sun and little wind. This hardy avocado tree should be planted on the south side of your house. Take the following steps to plant your tree:

• Clear away any weeds, turfgrass, and debris from the area.
• Dig a hole that’s roughly three times the diameter of the cold-hardy avocado seedling’s container, and about three to four times the depth.
• Remove the seedling from the container and place it into the hole so that the root ball is slightly above the surrounding soil.
• Backfill the hole with soil, tamping down gently.

Water your newly-planted Mexicola avocado tree every two days or every three days for the first week, and then twice weekly for the next few months, then finally once every week to 10 days.

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Growing Conditions

Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees can thrive in a wide range of temperatures and conditions.

• Sun and Shade: Cold-hardy avocado trees thrive in direct sunlight, where they receive at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. They can grow in partial shade as well, but will produce fewer fruit.
• Temperature: Cold-hardy avocado trees enjoy tropical temperatures, but can withstand temperatures of down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Soil: Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees thrive in well-drained soil, with a preference for sandy or loamy, and do poorly in clay soils.
• Watering: Before you water your cold tolerant avocado, make sure the soil isn’t already moist—you don’t want it to get soggy and damage the roots. Water once a week, making sure the top 2 inches of soil are moist each time after you’ve finished.
• Fertilizing: Cold-hardy avocado trees benefit from fertilizer, which gives them necessary nutrients to grow healthy leaves, a strong root system, and a robust harvest of fruit. You can purchase fertilizer specifically formulated for avocado trees. You should fertilize your Mexicola avocado tree in spring or summer, and again in fall.
• Pollinating: Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees are self-fertile, meaning you only need one to produce fruit. Avocado trees have both female and male flowers, but they open at different times. Mexicola trees have a type A flower, meaning that the flowers open in the morning as females on the morning of the first day, then close in the afternoon. The following day, they open as male. Planting your Mexicola cold-hardy avocado tree with a type B will increase your yield.
• Harvesting: Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees will begin producing fruit within three to four years of planting. The fruit is ready to harvest in September. Unlike Hass avocados, they turn purple-black while still on the tree. Their high oil content means they have a rich, nutty flavor, and you can even eat the thin skins. The yields are roughly 30 pounds per year.

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Our Conclusion

A cold tolerant avocado tree can thrive in cooler zones as long as they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight. The Mexicola variety doesn’t require a lot of care and yields about 30 pounds of fruit every year. You can plant these cold climate avocado trees in Zones 8–11, but you can grow them in Zones 4–7 if you keep them in a pot and move them indoors during the winter. We recommend watering your cold-tolerant avocado tree once per week and fertilizing it in the spring and fall.

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FAQ About Cold-Hardy Mexicola Avocado Trees

What temperature is too cold for avocado trees?

An avocado tree’s tolerance for low temperatures depends on the variety. For example, Mexicola cold-hardy avocado trees cannot tolerate temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but Hass avocado trees cannot withstand temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. 

What climate is best to grow avocados?

The best climate to grow avocados in is subtropical, which has hot, humid summers and mild winters. Avocado trees thrive in Zones 8–11, preferring temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can avocado trees grow in Zone 8?

Yes, some avocado trees can grow in Zone 8. Avocado trees for cold climates, such as the Mexicola, will survive in Zone 8.

Can you grow an avocado tree indoors?

You can grow avocado trees indoors, but you must make sure they receive at least six hours of sunlight a day. For cold-hardy avocado trees, you can keep the container on the patio for three quarters of the year and then bring the container indoors in the winter.

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