Attribute rows come from variety and trade references; the descriptions are written for this guide.
Hass
Type A
Hass is a medium avocado, commonly 5-12 oz, with a pebbly surface. Its green skin gradually becomes dark purple-black as the fruit softens, making colour a familiar ripeness reference. The variety became the dominant commercial avocado worldwide, and its California crop is strongest from spring into early autumn.
Inside, Hass has a rich, nutty character supported by high oil, commonly listed at 18-22 percent. Its creamy texture handles guacamole, avocado toast, and mashing especially well. Mexican and Peruvian fruit help keep this variety available during the rest of the year, beyond the main California period.
- Flowering type A
- Skin pebbly, green turning dark purple-black as it ripens
- Size medium, commonly 5-12 oz
- Oil high, commonly listed at 18-22 percent
- Season California crop is strongest from spring into early autumn; Mexican and Peruvian fruit fills the rest of the year
- Best for guacamole, avocado toast, mashing
Fuerte
Type B
Fuerte is a pear-shaped avocado ranging from medium to large. Its thin, smooth skin remains green when ripe, so a darkening peel should not be expected. Once the leading California variety, it now has a more seasonal presence, with fruit associated mainly with winter and early spring in California.
The flesh is mild and slightly sweet, with medium to high oil that gives slices enough body without making the flavour heavy. Fuerte is well suited to salads, sandwiches, and neat slices. Its gentler profile also works when avocado should support other ingredients rather than dominate them.
- Flowering type B
- Skin smooth, thin, stays green when ripe
- Size medium to large, pear shaped
- Oil medium to high
- Season winter and early spring in California
- Best for slicing, salads, sandwiches
Bacon
Type B
Bacon produces medium-sized fruit with a smooth, thin peel that stays green at maturity. Its appearance offers little colour-based guidance, so texture matters more than a change toward black. The variety arrives from late autumn through winter, giving green-skinned fruit a place in the colder part of the calendar.
Compared with Hass, Bacon carries lower oil and tastes light and clean. That combination makes it useful for slicing, salads, and cold soups, where a restrained avocado flavour can keep the dish fresh. Growers also plant it near Hass because its B flowering schedule overlaps the period when Hass supplies pollen.
- Flowering type B
- Skin smooth, thin, stays green
- Size medium
- Oil lower than Hass
- Season late autumn through winter
- Best for slicing, salads, cold soups
Zutano
Type B
Zutano has a pear shape, a shiny yellow-green peel, and a thin skin. Individual fruit commonly weighs 6-14 oz. Its colour remains a pale green family of tones rather than shifting to deep purple-black, so the exterior should be read alongside firmness. California picking begins in September and continues into early winter availability.
The flesh is mild and more watery than Hass, with low to medium oil. That lighter character suits salads and sliced preparations when a less rich avocado is wanted. Zutano is also cold tolerant and widely used as a pollinator, giving it an important role beyond its place on the plate.
- Flowering type B
- Skin shiny yellow-green, thin
- Size 6-14 oz, pear shaped
- Oil low to medium
- Season picked from September in California and available into early winter
- Best for salads and slicing where a lighter fruit is wanted
Reed
Type A
Reed is a large, round avocado with thick skin that stays green even when fully ready. Its peel therefore cannot provide a reliable colour signal. Judge maturity by the fruit’s feel and by checking the stem end. The variety comes into its own in late summer and autumn, when its substantial size is useful.
High oil gives Reed a buttery texture, while a slight sweetness rounds out the flavour. Its broad shape and firm, generous flesh make it practical for slicing, stuffing, halving, and baking. The fruit is especially useful when a whole half or a sturdy serving piece matters more than a small dice.
- Flowering type A
- Skin thick, stays green even fully ripe
- Size large, round
- Oil high
- Season late summer and autumn
- Best for slicing, stuffing, halving and baking
Pinkerton
Type A
Pinkerton is long and pear shaped, with thick, pebbly green skin. The exterior stays in the green range rather than offering a dramatic darkening cue. Its small seed leaves a high share of usable flesh relative to the fruit’s overall size, a practical advantage when preparing long pieces for serving.
High oil gives Pinkerton a rich eating quality. The elongated flesh is well suited to slicing into long strips, including pieces used in sushi and rolls. Winter is its characteristic season, making it a useful option when a green-skinned, slice-friendly avocado is wanted during the colder months.
- Flowering type A
- Skin thick, pebbly, green
- Size long pear shaped
- Oil high
- Season winter
- Best for slicing into long pieces, sushi and rolls
Lamb Hass
Type A
Lamb Hass is a large avocado with pebbly skin that darkens late in the ripening process. Its appearance can therefore remain green-looking longer than a shopper might expect. This California selection was developed as a later Hass substitute, and its season follows the main Hass run from late summer into winter.
The flesh is high in oil and has a nutty flavour close to Hass. It can take over the same jobs, including mashing, toast, and guacamole, when the main Hass supply is outside its strongest California period. Its larger fruit also suits preparations needing more flesh from each avocado.
- Flowering type A
- Skin pebbly, darkens late
- Size large
- Oil high
- Season after the main Hass run, late summer into winter
- Best for the same uses as Hass when Hass is out of season
Gwen
Type A
Gwen is a medium to large, round avocado with thick, pebbly green skin. The peel does not darken as the fruit becomes ready, so colour alone is especially unhelpful here. A compact tree habit distinguishes this Hass descendant in the orchard, while spring and summer mark its principal season.
High oil supports a rich, creamy texture and makes Gwen satisfying in simple preparations. The round fruit works well cut into halves or slices, where the flesh can remain the focus. Its eating style resembles the fuller side of avocado rather than the lighter, more watery character of some green-skinned varieties.
- Flowering type A
- Skin thick pebbly green, does not darken
- Size medium to large, round
- Oil high
- Season spring and summer
- Best for halves and slices