North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com>]

Hi,

All with experience with native plums, please post your reviews: Prunus americana; P. angustifolia; P. hortulana; P. nigra; P. pumila; P. munsoniana; P. mexicana; P. alleghaniensis; P. maritima...

All of these must be quiet variable within the species, flavor-wise also.  I hear mixed reviews on P. americana; P. angustifolia I've seen in generalist nurseries, so much be good; I hear that P. nigra might be a bit larger and/or better then most P. americana; I hear P. pumila makes for excellent preserves; I hear that P. munsoniana is the best plum for eating out of hand - some say 'better for eating then P. mume', etc; I know nothing of P. mexicana yet; I hear P. alleghaniensis may not be a very good plum for eating, much like the European species, P. spinosa; and I know, as do many, P. maritima to be an outstanding fruit, which I liken to a sweet, unique cherry/concord grape blend.  I would not want to be without: American persimmon; northern pawpaw; and beach plum, as well as a few others.

Also, on the topic of sour cherries, anyone try (out-of-hand or in preparations) Prunus pensylvanica (pin cherry; fire cherry)?  How does it compare to Prunus virginiana (choke cherry) - I'm pretty sure that it is more x-knot resistant then the later.  Any advantages to this fruit, even if subtle, over just planting a typical Eurasian sour cherry: P. cerasus? As for non-native sour cherries (really plums), I don't have a lot of good things to say for P. tomentosa, P. jacquemonti (sic?), and some others - although the later dried is pretty ok.  Just rather be conventional here and go with a traditional P. cerasus.  But I'm looking forward to trying P. pensylvanica - then P. virginiana (which I'd never grow since I don't want to start an outbreak of x-knot for my cherry trees or the neighborhood cherries the same.)

Thanks, 

Steve