North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Beckett <thomas@tbeckett.com>]

The New York Times has a great article on Beach Plums today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/dining/03PLUM.html?8hpib

Free registration required.  Excerpt:

" Virtually all commercial plums are large, juicy Asian varieties or 
European types like prunes, greengages and damsons. But there are also 
about two dozen native American species, many notable for hardiness and 
disease resistance, bearing mostly small, tart and tannic fruit.

"The beach plum, Prunus maritima, was the first of these mentioned by a 
European, the explorer Giovanni da Verrazano, on his 1524 visit to the 
southern New York area. In 1609 Henry Hudson noted abundant beach plums 
at the mouth of his namesake river. Sporadic cultivation began in the 
19th century, first for the plant's spectacular white blossoms, and 
later, by a few experimenters, for its fruit."

Thomas