Type A and B Avocado Trees: Know the Two Fruit Categories

Type A and type B avocado trees belong to the same fruit plant species but are distinguished by their genetic makeup. The hardiness zones 8 through 11 of the United States Department of Agriculture are warm enough for avocado trees to thrive with broad-leaved evergreen foliage.

In this informative guide, we will go over the distinctions between avocado varieties of type A and type B. You will learn about their growth patterns, tree sizes, cold resistance, zones, fruit characteristics, and additional information, so read on.

What Is Avocado Tree Type A or Type B?

Type A and type B are two distinct categories of avocado trees. Their blooms, size, characteristics and tolerance to chills differ vastly. Yet the two are often grown together to promote the development of the best possible fruit. Gardeners often put an avocado tree of type A and B.

It is best to plant an avocado tree of type A near an avocado tree of type B to promote the development of the best possible fruit. If you have a partner tree of the opposite type, either type A or type B, you ensure successfully and better-quality produce.

What Are Type A vs. Type B Avocados?

Avocados are commonly classified under either type A or type B, due to their difference in shedding their pollen, and alternating their blooms in different ways. On the other hand, it would also differ from the fruit’s produced texture, and the taste of the fruit as well.

– The Difference in Shedding Pollen

Type A flowers are female and open to receiving pollen in the morning, and in the afternoon, they shed their pollen, indicating that they are male. On the other hand, B type flowers are male in the morning when the sun is still getting warm, and as they release their pollen, and become female in the afternoon, when they are receptive to pollen.

Type A has a greater degree of closure and a stigma that is no longer receptive in the male stage. On the other hand, a type B plant in its female stage is characterized by the fact that its leaves are spread out widely and that it is receptive to the pollen that is shed by the male type A plants in the surrounding area, and it would smooth the process.

– Alternating Blooming

Avocados have unique blossoms, and instead of having separate male and female flowers like other plants or both male and female within the same bloom, avocado flowers essentially switch sexes. This means that their flowers can produce either male or female fruit, depending on the variety, of course.

Blooming begins early in the morning for avocados of type A, which means that the female reproductive parts are available immediately, and note that this is the case for all avocados.

The flowers of the type B avocado also open in the morning, but at this point, they have transitioned into their male phase. After that, they both pull a fast one on each other, and the flowers open as the other sex in the afternoon or the day after the next, and they would pollinate.

– Texture of Fruit

A number of the avocados designated as type A have thick and resilient skins, while the flesh of these avocados is rich and nutty and contains an abundant amount of oil. They are renowned for having a velvety texture that is extraordinarily luxurious. Also, remember that the flesh of this fruit would be darker in shade, sometimes even intense dark green.

On the other hand, most avocados that fall into the type B category are characterized by the presence of green skins.

They typically have thinner skins, are more delicate, and may have flesh that is marginally more watery and contains a slightly lower oil concentration than other varieties.

Because of this, type B avocados are less prevalent in the commercial avocado industry because they are more prone to damage during transportation and processing. As a direct result, type B avocados do not command a higher price, due to their consistency.

– Fruit Tastes

Type B tastes are better than type A’s in terms of flavor and consistency, because they are lighter in the taste and not heavy on the oil. However, in terms of preference for consumption, avocado type A fruits are preferred over type B fruits, if one would prefer a richer and a thicker taste.

What Are the Most Commonly Grown Type A Avocado Trees?

The most commonly grown type A avocado trees are the Hass flower, the pinkerton, and the reed flower avocado. These three are known for their rich content of oil, and they all have darker and thicker skin, in addition, they all grow in common care requirements.

– Hass Flower

Wondering if is Hass avocado is type A or B? This type A is grown in zones between 9 and 11. The tree may reach thirty-five feet, but it may be pruned to stay at a lower height. Like other avocado trees, it is a frost-sensitive tree, though it can sustain up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and should not grow below this temperature.

This variety is similar to Mexicola, Wurtz avocado tree and Lamb Hass or otherwise known as the dwarf avocado tree. The fruit flesh is rich in fat, creamy, and nutty and its skin has a dense texture. The blooming season lasts from February to May, and Hass fruits remain on the tree for twelve months after pollinating season.

– Pinkerton

This type of avocado trees grows well in USDA zones 9 to 11. Compared to other avocado varieties, the Pinkerton tree is thought to be easier to care for and manage. It is similar to the winter Mexican and is average-sized, but it has a huge canopy tree. Furthermore, this tree is an early producer of pear-shaped avocados that are elongated and slender.

Pinkertons have an excellent flavor that is rich and nutty, similar to that of Hass, but their pits are noticeably smaller, contributing to their extraordinary popularity. On the other hand, the skin is not very thick, but it has small bumps, and is quite easy to peel, and retains its green color as the fruit matures. The fruit blooms in spring and the ripening time is between November through April.

– Reed Flower

This avocado tree grows in zones 10 to 11. The Reed variety of avocado trees has a more slender and upright growth habit than other avocado trees. This plant bears enormous, spherical fruit that resembles green softballs, and their surface is a little rigid.

The thick, slightly granular skin can be peeled away without much effort to expose the buttery and flavorful flesh beneath. Reed fruit is the largest of all avocados and easily weighs more than a pound each.

What Are Common Type B Avocado Trees?

The common type B avocado trees are Fuerte avocados, bacon avocados, and sir prize avocados. These agave the properties of a B fruit, as they have thinner skin, and a common growth requirement and USDA hardiness zone where they would prosper.

– Fuerte Avocado

This grows in zones 9 to 11, and this zone is the ideal one for it to thrive and produce blooms. It is a large tree with a drooping canopy that spreads wide.

Moreover, this three is cold hardy, and its fruit is large, long or oval-shaped. The Fuerte variety has a reputation for having an exceptional flavor and a creamy texture, but its oil content is slightly lower than that of type A avocados.

On the other hand, as it starts to blossom up some flowers, they would start their blooming season in May and stay through November, which is its harvest time, which is what makes it the best type B avocado.

– Bacon Avocado

Grown in zones between 8b and 11, it is medium in size with an upright growth habit. It reaches an average height of twenty feet when fully mature, making it significantly shorter than most avocado varieties. It produces a large green fruit that is smooth and remains green, although they become slightly darker as they mature.

Because the skin is so thin and delicate, peeling them can be challenging, because its thinness is so close to the fruit. The flesh of a Bacon avocado is lighter green to almost yellow and the texture is very creamy, but it has a lower oil content than that of a Hass avocado. Late winter and early spring are the blooming seasons.

– Sir Prize

Type B thrives best in zones 9 to 11. It is an upright tree of medium size that can grow between twenty-five and thirty-five feet tall when it is fully mature. Moreover, the fruit flesh texture and fat content are more similar to those of avocado varieties of the type A subtype.

As a descendant of Hass, this variety is identical to that; it has a creamy and nutty flesh that turns black as it ripens; however, it will bear fruit that are large with a smaller pit. The fruit is ready to pick earlier than Hass, from late winter to early spring.

Conclusion

You now know what a type A avocado and type B avocado is. Let us summarize our learnings in the section below.

• There are two types of avocado trees: type A and type B. Their flowers, sizes, traits, and resistance to cold are very different.
• Avocado blooms are distinctive and switch sexes rather than having distinct male and female flowers like other plants or both male and female within the same bloom. This implies that their flowers can produce either male or female fruit.
• Type A varieties include Reed, Pinkerton, and Hess flowers, whereas type B varieties include Bacon Avocado, Fuerte, and Sir Prize.

Having understood the two broad categories, you can now choose the best suitable for your zone. Some say it is are easy to grow avocado so irrespective of the type, enjoy cultivating them.