[NAFEX] Your favorite Hawthorns, Juneberries/Serviceberries, Crab-apple - and Munson plum discussion...
Dr. Lucky Pittman
lucky.pittman at murraystate.edu
Tue Dec 7 16:29:00 EST 2010
1. Hawthorn:
C.crus-galli is native here; Parsley haw(off the top of my head, I don't
recall its scientific name) was common, back home in AL. I have several
mayhaw selections growing and fruiting here, on cockspur understock.
Cedar(juniper)-hawthorn rust is a major problem most years, with the
majority of fruits affected.
2. Juneberries/Serviceberries, incl. Saskatoon: \
I've grown a dozen or so of the named varieties of A.alnifolia &/or
A.stolonifera, and found most to be not worth the space. Two row-run
seedlings of Timm & Success have, however been very vigorous, healthy, and
fruitful - though in their location, the birds get almost all the fruit, so
I can't really comment on it; minimal to no rust, but some leaf-spot
disease.
There is a nice A.laevis tree here in town that bears heavily, and the
fruits are quite tasty - and there's usually plenty for me and the birds.
The A.x grandiflora plants I have are row-run seedlings - like the Timm &
Success, they came from the now-defunct Bear Creek Nursery - vigorous
plants, now approaching 10 ft in height, bearing large tasty fruits with
minimal rust infection.
I have a selection, purchased from Edible Landscaping as A.obovata
'Jennybelle'; has been quite unimpressive, fruits sparingly, fruits are
small-medium, relatively dry and not especially tasty; I don't make any
attempt to beat the birds to them. Usually defoliated very early in the
season due to leaf spot; have not noticed(but I've not looked all that
closely at it) significant rust lesions on leaves, and haven't noticed any
stem cankers from CSR.
3. Crab-apple: What is the difference in fruit between Malus coronaria
(sweet crab-apple) and M. ioensis (prairie crab-apple)? I hear that the
first is far-less bitter.
I've grown - and eaten both of these, as well as M.angustifolia. Although
my dad loved to eat the fruits through the winter, none I've sampled would
meet most folks' criteria for being suitable for human consumption.
Small, hard, green, exceeding sour and astringent little fruits with a musky
aroma. They'll overwinter lying on the ground, relatively unscathed until
the deer finally get desparate enough to eat them.
Lucky Pittman
Hopkinsville, KY
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