Try contacting a wholesale nursery that brokers in plants. If you try someplace like Devil Mountain Nursery and can give them the socal sources, they might be able to accommodate you.

As an update... I found a vendor of exotic avocados that carries Sharwil and Jan Boyce. They are located in Santa cruz County. Surprised nobody here knew of it! Epicenter Avocados. http://epicenteravocados.com. I'll take delivery in the Spring, so no news yet as to quality...

I can't find anywhere on their site what they charge--did they give you a quote?

Carla in Sac

What is so special about Sharwil?

'Sharwil' avocados have small seeds and greenish-yellow flesh with a rich, nutty flavor. In Hawaii, many consider 'Sharwil' to be superior to California cultivars and believe it should be marketed as a gourmet item. It accounts for over 50% of the commercial avocados grown in Hawaii, and if you've ever had one over there, you know why you crave them in California. Plus, the tree stays much smaller and more compact than our Haas, which can become the SUV of the avocado tree world :-0 They are superior in every way to a Haas, except they have green skin, which in the commercial produce world can be a detractor for some bizarre reason.

Patty S.

There's no quote because they base their costs on cost of inputs, which changes from year to year. They told me it'll be in the $35-40 range.

Patty, they also have Jan Boyce. Very excited.

I saw! I gave them a call. I've placed an order for a Nimlioh to place the one that didn't make it for me, as well as a Queen, as I do have a spot up on the top of my hillside that could manage a larger avo. I will still keep everything well-pruned, though, as I don't want SUV's on my slope :-) They are the only other grower in the state of California, besides Bonita Creek that are growing Jan Boyce to my knowledge. THAT, is the "best of the best", so if you haven't ordered one, you might want to consider adding it to your Sharwil. That would then give you an A and a B avocado.

Patty S.

I got them both. Considered a Nowels, which I hear are top notch, but I think I'll just stick with the two at least for this year, and see how the two shake out.

I'm a little nervous about the frost factor. We get a few weeks worth of frosty mornings for which I'll have to compensate. It's basically the same as Epicenter, so it's definitely possible...

Thanks for the Epicenter Avocado info. Another thread gives their website link. Sounds like a great place, I've bookmarked it for future use. I've been unable to keep avos thru the winter here in Riverside County. Tried twice with big box trees, they froze out both times.

Double thanks for the avo grower info.
Wildrose

Here is the link -
Wildrose

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.epicenteravocados.com/

Just wanted to bump this up and see if everyone got the Avos they ordered, and see what they thought. I ended up just grabbing a lamb hass locally.

I got my Sharwil and Jan Boyce. Put them both in mounds. Both are doing great. It's only been maybe two months, so I don't want to be cocky until they've weathered at least one winter...

They're my first avocados, so I have nothing really to compare them to, but both are growing and have sprouted new leaves. They appear to be healthy, knock on wood.

I don't suppose I'll know if they're the correct varieties for at least a couple years, but the Sharwil is definitely a slower grower, as expected. Ellen Baker, the Epicenter owner was very nice and very helpful...

Shoot. You got your avos before I did, and I ordered before you did, NorCal. I've emailed Ellen. I hope she hasn't forgotten me. She had to delay the order until late spring, early summer. But, here we are, and no avos, yet. I had ordered a Kona, a Queen and a Hellen.

Patty S.

Patty,

Must be due to my overwhelming charm. I barely drooled at all when she said they had Sharwil and Jan Boyce!

I ordered mine in December... Maybe it's because of the varieties ordered?

Niko.

Hi Niko,
I'm curious, how are your avos doing now? Did they survive last winter?
And a question for all of you... How much room did you "reserve" in your garden for each tree? My semi dwarf apples are plant 10' apart from each other. Do avocados need more room?
MM

Well,l depends on the cultivar, MM. More compact avocados (this is a relative term) can grow in smaller areas, but in general, they are the "SUV's" of the garden :-) Reed is taller and a little more compact. Holiday is probably one of the smaller and decent avocados. I wouldn't bother growing Littlecado (Wertz), poor quality fruit imho. So, try to find smaller, more compact cultivars if you have space limitations. That and some pruning might keep it down in size, but certainly remember they can get big.

Patty S.

Here is a link that might be useful: University of California Avocado Information Site

Always something new to learn about!

I would love to hear more about Sharwil, like the size, good pollenators etc.

Wait...where in So Cal are the Sharwil trees available? I am espaliering a Holiday (A), and Sharwil (B) would be the perfect companion, because it's the only B with spreading habit, and its fruits ripen opposite of Holiday's.

To recap, Sharwil growers in California:

http://epicenteravocados.com - Santa Cruz

http://www.bonitafruittrees.com/inventory.html - East of San Diego

Is there a third grower in Southern California, implied by Niko's original post?

Epicenter Avocados are not selling any trees this year. I contacted them last year and they had none then as they lost most of their young trees in the bad frost of Dec.2013.

Then this year in Jan. I got an email from them saying they're still not selling any trees as they couldn't built back up their nursery stock, and from various other issues. They'll leave up the web site for information, but did not renew their nursery licence this year.

It's too bad, sounds like they've had a rough time of it these last two years. Hope things get better, I wish them good luck.

I got my sharwil at Atkins in Vista about a year ago. $20 or $25 for a 5 gal. Wasn't in the best condition (has a scar in the base of the trunk) but has done well, unlike the lamb and jan boyce I got from them. That said, I really screwed up my avocados when planting them, so I've only had about a 50% success rate with avocados where as all my other trees are doing great. Atkins also has many other varieties like queen, hellen, daily and other rare ones. Here's a pic of the avos in pots. When they grow out they'll create a kind of avocado hedge. The sad lamb on the left, sharwil in the middle and sir prize flushing new growth on the right:

Also, I've heard rumors that La Verne is testing sharwil and jan boyce for major distribution so we just may see those two at home depots around CA in the next few years.

Well, I can't find Atkins in Vista. They are in Fallbrook and they don't answer their phone. We are heading down to Ramona to pick up a couple Caprifigs, but that Bonita Creek Nursery is clear to Mexico! I wish Atkins would answer their phone....... Just want to see if they have Sharwil. We planted 2 avocodos last spring. One is just a tree I grew from a Zutano seed. More of a memory of a good trip than anything else, and if it ever bears the fruit may not be good. We planted a Mex Grande, but we think it was one that got hit by the freeze of 2013. We couldn't save it. We'll get a replacement this year. I'd like to find The Sharwil or Jan Boyce. If my seed tree blossoms, it will need a polinator.

When is the best time to find a tree pre bloom?

I'll have to look for Clausen. The tree we lost to a freeze came from a grower. It looked bad when we bought it, but the nursery said it should be fine. Wrong. It rarely freezes here. This year it was too warm for snow, but up high, snow fell and actually stuck. My seed avocado is very happy with new growth. The old leaves show some freeze burn. Neighboring Temecula got 2 feet and stuck for 2-3 days! It snowed in Fallbrook too. Hopefully this year's supply of trees didn't get hit by freezing temps. I now know what to look for, and would love a Sharwil, but driving almost to Mexico for that Bonita Fruit Tree Nursery doesn't float my boat! Our mango, macadamia, citrus, olives, are all thriving, and I may just get another Mex Grande. We don't need a dwarf. Plenty of room here. We can swing by Atkins next Saturday when we go to Temecula for the grand kid's soccer. Prolific limes make great guacamole, and we have them!

Yeah, Clausen is one of my favorites, it's in Vista, near Exotica. Great prices and great trees. Definitely get a Sir Prize before you get a Mex grand -- Sir Prize is one of the best avocados available. Reed, Lamb Hass and Fuerte all rank higher than mex grand.

I called Atkins again today. Monday must be a better day to call, and they will have both Sharwil AND Jan Boyce mid March. He said to call prior to visiting. Their FB page is here: https://www.facebook.com/AtkinsNursery And the web site is here. http://sub-tropicalfruittrees.com/ They are in Fallbrook. I'll check into Sir Prize! Thanks for the tip. There's only two of us, and even though we own the seasonal stream at the bottom of the ravine and halfway up the next mountain, two avocado trees are plenty for us! We have the room, but not the appetite! LOL!

Picked up my Kona Sharwil yesterday at Atkins and it cost $25.00. Loaded with flowers. Going in ground today. The Jan Boyce won't be ready till May-June.

I know this is an old post but if your still looking i have a few extra 5gal sharwil avocados and a jan boyce.

Hi Mike, I saw this post while searching for a Sharwil. I'm in San Jose (close by). How can I get one of your extra trees? Are you selling? Or would you like to trade? I will have an extra Honeyhart Cherimoya seedling ready in a few months. :)

I am looking to buy a Sharwil seed or tree, shoot even an avocado so I can start the seed. Anyone have any suggestion? I am in Oklahoma

It's Kona Sharwil, so maybe take a trip to Hawaii? Are you sure avocados grow in Oklahoma? They don't like freezes. Tropical or sub tropical trees. You won't find one in a grocery store. They aren't grown commercially. They are "boutique" trees owned by very few. I purchased my tree this past spring. I doubt I'll taste it's fruit for a few years. Looking forward to it.

I didn't realize I asked for a saractist comment. Clearly we could all go take a trip to Hawaii and get Sharwil avocados. I used to live in Hawaii so I know what type of trees they are. I currently have a Hass tree that seems to be doing okay. It is inside still so and I plan on keeping it indoor throughout the winter. Not sure if it will survive but doesn't hurt to try right?