North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Matt Demmon <mdemmon@gmail.com>]

In my experience, which is mostly with local wild genotypes, P.
americana is way better than P. nigra. Americana varies quite a bit
around here, from "ooooh, you could probably make jam with it if you
add a lot of sugar....." to "that is the best plum i've ever had". The
half dozen or so P. nigra I've found have all been very hard even when
ripe, extremely astringent, and sour. And I've had some cultivated
beach plums. They were pretty good, but nowhere near as good as the
best of the americana I've had.

Pin cherry is much like choke cherry for eating. Yes, I've seen less
black knot on it. Pretty small and sour. I don't like them as much as
I like choke cherry.

-matt
z5 SE MI

On Sat, Nov 27, 2010 at 2:24 AM, Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com> wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
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