Takadi:

I live in the DC Virginia suburbs too. It's not even possible to grow avocado trees outdoors, far less blossoms or fruit.

Avocados are tropical, or at best sub-tropical.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

That surprises me Jellyman, when I went there it was 110 in the shade. I suppose you get extremes of cold too though.

OT, any of you two ever go to "The Vault" nightclub? Now that was memorable back in '96. Good times!

Even in zone 9 where Avocados are grown commercially it is often difficult to grow one avocado tree in your yard and ever get any fruit. In your zone I would expect an avocado to frost to the ground every year. Al

A co-worker was telling me about a avocado variety that his parents gave him. It is a small fruiting and thin skinned variety that you eat skin and all. According to his parents it is cold hardy and they are growing one outdoors in Zone 8, West Texas. His parents obtained their specimen from a family member in Mexico. He planted a little sapling this year.

Sorry, I don't have more info, but I thought I would share this. Maybe someone here knows more about this variety of avocado?

And after a quick google for cold hardy avocado I'm guessing it is the Opal variety, but I'll see if I can confirm it. It is evergreen to 14 degrees.

Even the cold hardy varieties wouldn't probably be able to survive in Zone 6 though I'm guessing. There are several cold hardy varieties though: Opal, Mexicola, Mexicola Grande, Gainesville, and Homestead.

Eh I guess I'll give my poor avocado saplings their first and last year....

I live in zone 6, and I grow Avocado. Sure you can grow one but not kept outside in winter. I have Opal I got from Texas. Where the mother tree took a 14 F weather the one time and recovered. However it will not grow outisde.
I keep mine in a container in the greenhouse.

Bass

Low readings for tender plants come from warm climates where it might be 70F two days after the hard frost. The soil and roots do not freeze.

Could be the Opal, but my guess is the Fantastic, which has a paper thin skin that can also be eaten. Is supposed to be the most cold hardy.

It's been 6 years since this question was asked. I'm not sure if there will still be notifications going out that alert you guys to new comments but let's hope so. Since some of the questions say one thing and then the opposite answer from others, did anyone have success growing avocado trees in zones 6&7? I would love to hear any succes story's snd advice, don't waste your time replying if it's going to be more negative responses, thanks everyone!!

Dolores.... Yes it can be grafted. Grew up on a Avo ranch in CA, my father grafted trees 20+ years old. It can give old trees new life or in your case turn it into an Avo

I have one i started from seed and its over 6 feet tall in the house ....

I live in Richmond VA and have one avocado plant ,started from seed and its over 5 feet tall in the house .Any body tell me it can survive outside in the winter.

Please read the previous comments. Avocados cannot survive winters outdoors in zones below 8 and even those that can survive that zone are limited and may or may not produce fruit. No, it will not survive Richmond's zone 7a winters outside.

I have an accidental avocado tree growing outside (not in a pot) that has so far survived 4 winters in zone 6 and is now 7 feet high. I don't expect it to fruit, and I am very surprised every year when it leafs out. It is in a protected area right next to my house on the west, and just past it is an old fashioned well structure of the wishing well type but it is a real well with real water in the bottom. This house is of stone, built in 1925 and the walls at the bottom are close to 2 feet thick. The ground to the south falls away steeply, so cold air does not pool in this area. All of that probably has a lot to do with the survival of the tree. It has gotten down to zero F in the last couple of winters but that hasn't happened often or lasted more than one night. I have not done anything to protect this tree such as wrapping it. One of these winters the temperature will go down far enough that the tree won't make it. But, at this point it's an interesting anomaly. This is in the most southwest corner of Pennsylvania.

Are you in Greene Co.? I am from that area. Waynesburg, Kirby and Crucible.

I'm in Fayettenam. Springhill Twp. a couple of miles from Smithfield. So should be the same winter weather as Waynesburg. Avocado tree is still alive, the top died back, probably from me trying to cover it during a severe cold snap (won't try that again) but it came back from the roots and is about 3 feet tall now.