Almost all US avocados descended from the same tree. In 1925, Rudolph Hass bought avocado seeds hoping to get rich, but accidentally grew a stubborn plant that didn’t graft the way his other trees did.
It became the ‘mother tree’ of a new avocado variety, won blue ribbons at the state fair, and Hass avocados are now the world’s most popular. Hass made under $5k off his patented fruits, but his family is proud of his legacy, just the same.
What’s left of the mother of all Haas avocado trees Image: Bob Carey/LA Times via Getty Images
La Habra avocado groves in 1928
(Source: didyouknowblog.com)