2025 - Again blooming later than Grenville and American but still crossover. In spite of unusually wet cool spring it surprised me with a full crop of fruit! Grenville had none. 9/19 it was dropping good fruit; I shook the tree and about half fell off, 5#. Quite mild flavor, likely not fully ripe. 9/24 I picked another 3# that were cracking or bird damage, many not yet ripe. Then finally 9/29 I picked the rest, 7# of larger, nicer,  ripe fruit for a total harvest of 12#! Haven't had that many plums in ages.

Flesh is quite mild, plenty of juice, but not that great for fresh eating. But cooked into sauce they are high flavor and very good, the skins adding the needed pizazz. I especially like it mixed with applesauce.

2024 - Blossoms half open 5/17 when other plums full open.

2023 - Full bloom 5/19-25, mid 20's freeze 5/25-27. But set 3 beautiful first fruits! Picked 9/13 - very good, nice flavor, lightly sour skin, beautiful red fruit, 2 - 2 1/2", 3/4 oz.

2022 - Blossoms, 2/3 open when 26 deg freezes late May. No fruit. Vigorous growth.

2021 - Hot, dry spring. 5/18-21 all plums, chums full bloom, including a number of blooms on Alderman, with "later" group (only 3 days apart on all plums) with South Dakota and European blueplums. 5/27 four nights freezes 24-30 deg. No fruit.   Good summer growth.

2019 - Had blooms, no fruit.

2018 - Very good growth, many short & long side shoots, summer pruned tip, good looking graft union.

2017 - Scion from Bob Purvis. Grafted to Grenville, to be 1/3 of tree nw. Slow to start but one bud grew well --> 18".

Online Notes: Univ Minn ...no dieback or other signs of disease... Consistent, uniform, does not need thinning. Fruits adequately in partial shade. Displays late mid-season ripening...smooth apple red, clingstone; flesh yellow, sweet, firm, but juicy....fall foliage red. (HFT) medium to large J clingstone fruit 2-2.5 inches in diameter. The skin is a dark red and the flesh is a golden hue, both exceptionally sweet for a Japanese plum and very juicy. It is firm in texture ...late plum and ripens in late August. tree vigorous growth, precocious and heavy bearer, self-sterile, no known problems with disease...cross between Burbank and Older. ...Tree: somewhat spreading, vigorous, and precocious. Profuse large, white, flowers. Bloom date is mid to late; best pollenized by South Dakota or Superior, but Waneta and Toka okay. very good eating and keeps well. Ripe about Sept. 1-5 in central MN.

Copyright © Susan Robishaw