Luna Avocado: The New Variety Our Ranch Has Been Growing Since 2016
By: David Jefferson
The avocado world doesn't change very often. For nearly half a century, one variety has dominated in grocery stores, restaurants, & guacamole bowls at every Super Bowl party in America. About 95% of avocados sold in the US are Hass. It's the default, the standard, the one most people picture when they hear the word "avocado."
So when a new variety earns a spot on TIME Magazine's Best Inventions list, that's worth paying attention to.
The Luna avocado, developed over more than half a century by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, is that new variety. And at our family's certified organic ranch in Ventura County, it isn't exactly news. We've been growing it since 2016.
The Half-Century Story Behind Luna
The Luna UCR didn't appear overnight. Its origins trace back to the 1950s, when UCR's first dedicated avocado breeder, B.O. "Bob" Bergh, began planting thousands of genetically different avocado seedlings in search of something better. He planted as many as 70,000 genetically different seedlings from Gwen mother trees at three sites with different climates in San Bernardino, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties. Most didn't survive. But one tree in Ventura County did, and it became the first Luna UCR avocado.
Bergh died in 2021 at age 96, never seeing his work officially released to the market. His colleagues Mary Lu Arpaia and Eric Focht carried the research forward. UCR officially released the Luna UCR™ in July 2023, marketing it to growers worldwide through a partnership with Eurosemillas, a Spanish company specializing in international marketing of proprietary crop varieties.
Our Ranch's Connection to Luna — From the Beginning
Here's the part of the Luna story that hasn't made it into news articles.
In August 2016, before this variety had the name Luna, before it was on TIME Magazine's Best Inventions list, our ranch signed an Agreement with UC Riverside. This agreement authorized us to grow Luna, then known as BL516 "Marvel" on our Somis, Ventura County ranch for testing and evaluation under real growing conditions. Our family's trees contributed to understanding how this variety performs in California avocado country.
When you read about Luna's deep roots in Ventura County, our ranch is a fundamental part of the story.
Even today, Eurosemillas visits our Luna trees every year with scientists, growers, nurseries to view our trees, and use our blocks as a case study.
In 2025, we planted more than 1000 additional Luna trees, interplanting a full row of Luna in between rows of Gem and Hass trees (pictured below).
So What Does Luna Actually Taste Like?
If you're an avocado lover, the most important question is simple: how does it taste?
Truth be told, it overlaps with Hass by about 90% in taste and texture, but there are subtle differences.
Mary Lu Arpaia, one of Luna's inventors and an esteemed avocado scientist, whose name is on the patent, describes it this way: "The Luna, I would say it's not quite as nutty as a Hass. But it has, to me, almost a floral characteristic to its flavor. It sometimes can be a little bit sweet. And instead of being super creamy — it is creamy — I would say that its texture is more smooth. So it's an avocado, it tastes like an avocado, but it's a slightly different eating experience than Hass."
That quote is as honest as it gets, and it comes directly from the scientist who spent years developing it. Luna isn't trying to be a Hass clone. It's its own thing, with a smoother, subtly sweeter personality that works beautifully in everything from avocado toast to guacamole to sliced over a plate of eggs.
And just like Hass, Luna's skin turns a tell-tale black when ripe, so there's no guesswork at the market. The same squeeze to check method you've always used for Hass also applies for Luna.
Built for the Environment, Not Just the Consumer
Luna was bred both for the consumer and for the environment. The trees have been designed to be more efficient, and the fruit is more resistant to extreme climates.
That matters because avocado cultivation requires a lot of water, and improper planting can accelerate soil erosion and inefficient use of scarce water resources. In fact, in our area, water is tightly controlled by "water allocations" issued via adjudication and controlled by local regulatory agencies. There are large penalties for inefficient use of water. Luna's smaller, denser trees reduce the footprint per fruit. For certified organic operations like ours, where we're already committed to farming the land responsibly and efficiently, that aligns with how we do everything.
Why Growers Are Paying Close Attention
Beyond taste and sustainability, Luna is generating serious excitement in the farming world for what it does inside an orchard.
Smaller trees, smarter farming. Luna avocado trees offer a smaller size, allowing for denser plantings that make harvesting more efficient and safer, with minimal pruning required. For farm workers, that means less time on ladders. For growers, it means more fruit per acre.
The pollination advantage. This is Luna's most significant agronomic contribution. Luna is currently the only avocado variety that matures to black, shares similar characteristics to Hass, and simultaneously functions as a pollinator for Hass orchards. Hass is a Type A flowering tree; Luna is Type B. When planted together, they cross-pollinate and the results are dramatic.
What does this mean exactly? When avocado trees are in bloom (typically April - May), bees transfer pollen from Type B flowers (i.e. Luna) to Type A flowers (i.e. Hass) resulting in more flowers pollinated and more fruit produced for the upcoming crop. We bring in up to 4 bee colonies per acre to ensure excellent pollination.
As mentioned and pictured above, we planted about 1,000 Luna in between Gem and Hass to leverage this pollination advantage.
Extended harvest windows. Luna's harvest period runs approximately 3–4 weeks after Hass, which extends the avocado season and ensures higher quality fruit for longer portions of the year.
Luna and Ventura County
It's not a coincidence that Luna has such deep roots in Ventura County. This region, one of California's most important avocado growing areas, was a key research site from the very beginning. One of the Ventura County trees that grew in Camarillo became the first of what is now the Luna avocado.
Our ranch in Somis sits in this same area of Ventura County, California. We grow approximately 100 certified organic acres and 17 avocado varieties on our 240 acre ranch. We've watched as Luna developed from a numbered research cultivar (BL516 "Marvel") into a variety that TIME called one of the best inventions of 2023. It's been a long road, and it's been happening right on our own ranch.
Try Luna From the Ranch That Helped Grow It
Luna avocados are still early in their commercial journey. You won't find them at any grocery store. But you can order them directly from the ranch that was part of their story from the start.
At Levi's Organic Avocados, we ship certified organic Luna avocados directly from Somis, California to your door. No middlemen, no warehouses, no mystery about where your fruit came from.
The future of avocados has roots in Ventura County at Levi's Organic Avocados. Now you can taste it.
Note: This article was written by David, Levi's dad and head of ranch operations. Levi and his brother Riley grew up visiting our ranch and watching these trees their whole lives. It's because of Levi's idea to found a farm-to-table organic avocado business that you can order a Luna box today and try it yourself.
Still have questions about Luna? Learn more below.
FAQ SECTION
What is the Luna UCR avocado? The Luna UCR™ is a new avocado variety developed by UC Riverside researchers over more than 50 years of breeding. It was officially released to the market in 2023 and named one of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions.
How does Luna compare to Hass? Luna is over 90% similar to Hass in shape, skin color, and taste, but has a slightly smoother, less nutty flavor with subtle floral and sweet notes. Like Hass, its skin turns black when ripe.
Comparison of Hass and Luna:
| Luna UCR | Hass | |
|---|---|---|
| Skin when ripe | Turns black | Turns black |
| Flavor | Smooth, slightly sweet, floral | Rich, nutty, creamy |
| Tree size | Compact (half the size) | Standard |
| Flower type | Type B (pollinator) | Type A |
| Harvest timing | 3–4 weeks after Hass | Standard season |
| Climate resistance | Higher | Standard |
| Where to buy | Specialty/direct from farms | Everywhere |
What makes Luna better for the environment? Luna trees are smaller than Hass trees, allowing denser plantings with less water usage per tree. The variety is also more resistant to extreme climates and helps reduce soil erosion through more efficient orchard layouts.
Can Luna pollinate Hass avocados? Yes — this is one of Luna's most important traits. Luna has Type B flowers while Hass has Type A, making them ideal cross-pollinators. Orchards that mix Luna and Hass rows report significantly higher overall yields.
Where can I buy Luna avocados? Luna avocados are not yet widely available in grocery stores. Levi's Organic Avocados ships certified organic Luna avocados directly from our family ranch in Ventura County, California.