In 2002, the tree to which every Hass avocado in the world could trace its lineage, finally succumbed to root rot at the ripe old age of 76. By that time her offspring accounted for 95% of the avocados grown in California and 80% worldwide.
The Hass Mother Tree, as she was known, began life as a lucky-find by A.R. Rideout of Whittier, California, an avid avocado advocate devoted to planting found seeds along streets or in neighbors’ yards. In the late 1920s, Rudolph Hass, a postman, bought an avocado seedling from Rideout, to plant in his new orchard. At first he sought to graft other varieties onto the tree, but failed. Then, just as he was about to cut down the fledgling tree his children talked him out of it. They preferred the richer texture and nuttier taste of the bumpy black fruit to that of the smooth green Fuerte, the most common variety of the time.
So Hass named his new variety after himself, took out a patent, and signed an agreement with a local nursery o grow and promote Hass avocados. Success was nearly immediate. The variety bore significantly more fruit than the Fuerte and matured at a different time of year giving it a great seasonal advantage.
Rudolph Hass’s patent expired in the same year he did, 1952, and the world-famous Hass Mother Tree lived out her final days in suburban Southern California.