The variety named Bonny Doon is a seedling, discovered growing in Santa Cruz, California (in front of the Bonny Doon Vineyard tasting room). The tree, receiving no care, was growing vigorously and set a nice crop of avocados annually, regardless of weather. This tree has been known to withstand temperatures of 22 degrees Fahrenheit with almost no damage. These medium-sized, round fruit have a bumpy green skin, reflecting their Guatemalan heritage, but their frost hardy buds and early ripening attest to some Mexican genetics in the mix. The flesh is rich nutty and oily, scoring near the top in tastings. In Santa Cruz, these fruit ripen with Bacon in early summer but hold well on the tree.

Note: The winter of 2023 was harsh in most of California, with low temperatures, plenty of precipitation, and high winds. One of our customers, located near Shelter Cove in northern California (Humboldt County), sent us pictures of his Bonny Doon tree, planted at about 1200′, 2 miles from the coast. This winter these trees saw 90 mph winds and 12 inches of snow. He sent us pictures of the trees under a thick blanket of snow, and then in the spring, pictures of the same trees (full disclosure: some of the trees were D’Arturos, but they weren’t bearing fruit at the time), and later, pictures of the harvest.

Here they are:

Photo credit: Covelo Gibbs

You can see the fruit hanging under the snow.

Photo credit: Covelo Gibbs

And here is the same tree in the spring, full of growth:

Photo credit: Covelo Gibbs

And the harvest, a few months later:

Photo credit: Covelo Gibbs

Sold out for spring 2024. We will have a few Bonny Doon trees available this summer; contact us if you are interested.

Trees are approximately 3 feet tall and sell for $45 each cash or check or Venmo, or $47 via credit card or PayPal. All trees are sold in a poly grow sleeve that is roughly equivalent to a #2 pot.