Description
In the 1960’s, Bob Bergh directed the avocado breeding program of the University of California, where he planted thousands of seeds in a search for improved avocado varieties.
One seedling with the test name of T225 stood out because it was a relatively small tree and yet made tons of avocados. Bergh was so enamored with T225 that he renamed it after his wife, Gwen.
Gwen avocados have bumpy skin that remains green when ripe. The flesh of Gwen is firm and the flavor is rated superior to Hass by some, including me. Gwen is a pleasure to eat not only because of its texture and flavor but also because its tough peel makes it very easy to scoop out with a spoon.
In the 1980’s, Bergh continued his research by further planting thousands of seeds of Gwen. He was now using Gwen as the mother for the next generation.
Two daughters selected from among those Gwen seedlings were GEM and Luna.
GEM is a cream-of-the-crop avocado that was selected by Gray Edward Martin while working under Bob Bergh. The avocado is slightly larger and rounder than Hass on average, and with a slightly larger and pointier seed. The skin of GEM is a bit thicker than Hass, and it has a shimmering speckle to it when unripe. As the fruit ripens, it turns black. It is one of my favorite eating avocados, with a meaty texture and a nutty flavor.
Luna was also selected by Gray Martin and Bob Bergh at approximately the same time as GEM, but it was only recently patented and released for farmers to grow (in 2023). Because of this, it can be considered the newest U.C. variety. Luna’s harvest season starts a bit later than GEM (and GEM starts a bit later than Hass). Smaller than Hass on average, the Luna avocado has more of a pear shape, slightly smoother skin, and flesh inside that has a melting texture.
These are clean avocados. None of the trees from which these avocados were harvested have ever been sprayed with anything.
I harvested the Gwen avocados from Sola Gratia Grove in Redlands, the GEM avocados from BalMar Farm in Fallbrook, and the Luna avocados from Eli’s Farm in Fallbrook.
To learn more about the Gwen variety, see my profile here. And for more on the GEM variety, see my profile here. My profile of Luna is upcoming.
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