Don't know what area you are in, but have seen several Holiday this week including 15 gallon 9' trees. It's the large Hass right now that are hard to find.

Lowe's is carrying, Laguna Hills Nursery in Lake Forest has several, and Anaheim Whlsl Nursery in Orange had the large 15gallons for $75. We have a couple of them. All of these trees sport the Durlings tag.

Here's what the Avocado people say:
XX3 ('Holiday') Parentage: Guatemalan
Peels: Yes
Seed Size: Medium
Skin Texture: Medium
Blossom Type: A
Fruit Shape: Obovate
Skin Color Unripe: Green
Skin Color Ripe: Green
Skin Thickness: Medium
Average Fruit Weight oz: 18 to 24
%Ratio Seed/Skin/Flesh: 16:13:71 [XX3 photo]
Click on image to enlarge
Additional Information:

Dwarf tree has very large fruit. Beautiful tree with spreading, umbrella shape that skirts the ground. Not extremely small, but certainly not a towering tree. Tree is smaller than Wertz. Fruit are attractive and have good flavor. Released from the breeding program for nursery propagation in 2001. Marketed by one nursery as the 'Holiday' avocado.
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Reed is another nice one, and I believe Gwen is a smaller tree also, but it isn't easy to find. I also saw 'Sir Prize' this week, but nurseryman said it was too soon to rate. I did read that it is supposedly an alternate bearer.

Even Home Depot probably carries 'Holiday'. Easy to spot with the unusual and large white tag/Durlings.

Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Avocado Source - Tools - Variety List

One website said its hard to grow, wonder what they mean by that? Armstrong is advertising it.

I've tried 2 15 gallon Holidays in the last 2 years. Live in the flats of Studio City and it gets kind of cold. Last winter put Xmas lights on and kept on for 4 months solid/previous year I covered with sheets. Didn't matter, both didn't make it. Considering moving to other side of garden(slightly warmer)but entails digging up and moving very happy apricot--don't want to do if it's futile. Considering & looking for 24" box Holiday (more mature/stronger?)Is this worth the money/hassle? Is it possible to find a 24"? Is another dwarf better?

I bought a 'DON GILLOGLY' avocado last year. It is a dwarf. Take a look at the link below.

Karin

http://www.avocadotrees.com/discover.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Don Gillogly avocado

I am losing the 2nd 15 gallon Holiday in 2 years. They're just fine till the cold weather (Studio City, CA) comes. Year one I covered in sheets --no good. This time put Xmas lights on and kept lit for 4 months solid. This one's dying as well. Considering locating to a slightly warmer location, but entails moving a very happy dwarf apricot and I'm wondering if this is futile. Considering buying a 24" boxed one, if available. Anyone have suggestions or experience? I'm getting pretty frustrated so any help would be gratefully appreciated. Jan Thorn

I planted mine last fall, and I had to move it a couple of weeks ago because it was in the way. But so far, its looking good in its new place. It was starting to produce those little blossom looking things. Its still doing it so I guess that's a good sign, hearing that they are very delicate when moved. Of course, I dug it out wide instead of roots exposed.

I bought my Holiday Avocado at Armstrong last October, and it looks like it just died. Unfortunately I bought it on a clearance sale so I can't return it. The leaves started looking burnt and were falling off, and now even the stems are starting to dry up. It did make a lot of flowers, maybe I should have cut them off. They might have sapped all the energy out of the tree. Or maybe I killed it trying to foliar feed it. But I used the same planting method and foliar spray on an apricot and persimmon tree I also bought on clearance at the same time and they seem to be doing fine, in fact the apricot tree has five apricots on it.

I bought mine at Green Thumb, a really fine local business. It was at least 3 years ago. It produces blossoms but no fruit yet. I can't remember what I paid for it but it was no where near $50. Maybe $30.

Parenthetically there are many avocado trees around here so I would guess they do well.

Bought mine at Green Thumb in Van Nuys 5 years ago. FInally has fruit this year. I think I made the mistake of under-feeding it so it basically starved all those years. This year I used Citrus-Tome (found it at Home Depot or OSH) and it may be coincidence but it's now bearing fruit-- big, beautiful, luscious green avocados. Can't wait to harvest! The tree has grown to about 12 feet with a nice umbrella spread of branches. I spread half a bag (1.5 pounds) of Citrus-Tome under the tree on top of the dead leaves every month and water it well. Leaf drop is minimal since I started feeding it and I see new leaves and branches all the time. Admittedly, I don't know much about growing avocados but this has turned out well for me. I think I paid $29.99 at Green Arrow and had one of their Gardener Club coupons.

Walter Anderson's Nursery 7 years ago. Only one avocado in seven years. Branches grow long and lays on the ground for 8 - 9 feet. Tag said dwarf tree, grows more like a groundcover. I'm not happy with it.

Followup post. It is now a little over three years since I planted my Holiday Avocado and it is still about the same size, hasn't grown more than a foot and still looks so sickly compared to the Bacon Avocado I planted at the same time, not that the Bacon is doing so well either. My guess is Avocados don't like almost pure clay soil, even though I mixed lots of compost in the soil when I planted them and around them on the surface.
Hopefully they and all my other fruit trees will do better this year with all the rain we got in December.

I am in Redlands, CA and my Holiday is about 9 years old. It is about 5'X5'. For the first 3 yrs it always looked like it was going to die, but I kept it in the ground - clay soil that gets watered daily by sprinklers (the worst ever). The last 3-4 yrs it has produced 18+ oz beautiful avocados. The problem is that they won't "fruit" sufficiently (produce oil, etc) to pick them and ripen them even though some have been on the tree for 2-3 yrs. I took them to a well-known nursery in Fallbrook and they said they were some of the most beautiful that they'd seen but they had no idea why they'd be on the tree for 2+ years and never get to the point where they could be picked to ripen. Anyone have any ideas?

Does anyone have experience with growing this type of avocado tree? I know that it tastes great and can grow to a nice size. I live in the inland empire. If anybody can give me any advice, please do.

Angie,
Please start a new message thread so you can check off notifications to your message. You're hijacking a thread, and you really want your own thread. I'll answer you over on your own message thread :-)

Patty S.

where can I find a cocktail avocado....they are fingersized, larger of course. thanks

tutusuziet@yahoo.com

How are those holiday avocados doing? Im trying to find one in the San gabriel valley. Sunset 22. Will go in some partial shade near a Pakistani mulberry.