North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Ernest Plutko" <ernestplutko@wiktel.com>]

I grow P nigra and P americana.  Both are hardy in zone 2.  Both have
excellent tasting plums.  P nigra bears heavily and tastes a little
better.  P americana does not bear as well a P nigra and the plum
quality varies between trees. I strongly suggest growing both.  Both
plums taste as good as some store-bought plums.  I would really like
to grow gourmet plums but it is too cold here in Northern Minnesota.

zone 2/3

---- Original Message ----
From: filtertitle@aol.com
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Wild Prunus (North American plums and sour
cherries) -taste reviews.
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2010 02:24:35 -0500 (EST)

>Hi,
>
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>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...
>
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>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.)
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>
>Thanks, 
>Steve
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