Grafted ‘GEM’ Avocado Fruit Tree (2-3 Feet Tall)

Description

GEM is a good producer in a number of ways. One way is its consistency. All avocado varieties fluctuate in their fruit production from year to year, but GEM’s yearly yield doesn’t fluctuate as much as many other varieties.

I have observed this on individual GEM trees, and more importantly, this has also been reported in scientific trials GEM does also happen to be a very productive variety overall. In the same trial in Irvine mentioned above, GEM yielded more fruit in terms of weight compared to Hass and Lamb. Similar results have also been reported in a comparison between GEM and Hass in Ventura County by Brokaw Nursery. Put another way, GEM avocado trees produce a lot of fruit on a little tree.

Like GEM’s behavior of producing avocados more consistently, this attribute of efficiency can also be of benefit to a backyard grower since most of us have limited square footage in our yards. A GEM avocado tree also wants to produce fruit right out of the gate, right at planting.

In fact, GEM is dangerously precocious. A GEM tree that is only knee high can make hundreds of flowers. The taste of GEM? Excellent, top notch in every way. And to me, nearly indistinguishable from Hass. GEM in Southern California is not harvested until March at the earliest but beginning in April more commonly, which puts it a month or two later than the beginning of the Hass harvest. GEM usually tastes best to me in May. And it remains good on the tree into July or maybe August here in San Diego County, probably later if you’re near the beach, certainly later if you’re north of Los Angeles. Of course, when you harvest any variety also depends partly on how oily you prefer your avocados.

GEM avocados don’t start dropping from a tree as soon as they’re mature so you can let them hang and accumulate high oil levels if that’s the taste you like.

GEM is an A type avocado.

**You are purchasing a grafted avocado tree equivalent in size to the one pictured.