In which California city was the Hass avocado first grown?

The Hass avocado was first grown in La Habra Heights, California. Rudolph Hass planted the seed that produced the original Hass tree at his 1.5-acre grove there in 1926.

Hass had purchased seeds from A. R. Rideout of Whittier and planted three of them. One produced a strong seedling that repeatedly resisted grafting with Fuerte branches, so Hass allowed it to grow on its own. The tree eventually bore the unusual, flavorful fruit that became the Hass cultivar.

La Habra Heights is often confused with nearby places in the story. Whittier was where the seedseller Rideout operated, while Pasadena was an important early market: the Model Grocery Store there sold the fruit to customers and chefs. The mother tree remained at the La Habra Heights site until it died from root rot and was removed in 2002.