Bob, you’ve confirmed you Lavinia is true to type? I recall you questioned that at one point…Scion you sent me has grown very nicely, set a couple fruit, and grown enough for me to take material to spread for more grafts this past spring. Thanks again!
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Yes, not only does the variety fit the description to me, but Scott confirmed that my pictures and the interesting flavor match his in this thread:
So in my Plum Bloom Times thread, the pictures of the tree with flowers only part way up is the Lavina (as indicated in the thread). That means that Lavina only blooms on 2 year old wood, not the wood that grew last year, which should be a fairly clear way to differentiate it from Laroda and some many other plums. I should pay better attention next spring and see if I can tell how common this characteristic is for other varieties.
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Lavina is more or less done here. I had a bunch laying on the ground and all the rest just fall off if i touch them. Tree ripened they are very soft/sweet and juicy…but i doubt they last more then a day or 2 on the counter.
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Lavina plums, salvaged two days ago from animal attack (so much damage this year). Brix 15, sweet and perfumey even with all the rain,
Use Shiro plum ( yellow one) to compare size. Lavina is smaller in size.
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This was just the first year that Lavina fruited for me (on a second-year graft, scion from @BobVance ) but it tasted so good! Very sweet and exquisitely perfumed. Ripened Jul 3 - Jul 22 here.
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I have some from Bob too, thanks Bob! Mine is 1 year old and didn’t fruit. It’s huge now, I should get a lot of fruit next year.
Just want to show you how much Lavina and Satsuma look alike from outside. They are similar in size and color. My Satsuma on the right is not fully ripe ( still has crunchiness to it.
When you cut them cut. Lavina has amber flesh. Satsuma is deep red.
Lavina is perfumed. Satsuma is not. If I were to choose, I’d go with Lavina for sweetness and fragrance.
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I’m glad to hear people are liking this plum – its in my desert island plum group for the unique flavor!
Unfortunately my tree has come down with canker, something unusual on plums for me. I’m going to try budding it but the wood may not be healthy enough. The canker is not on the Lavina wood, its on the trunk which is a topworked Ruby Queen.
Scott,
I got the Lavina from you two years ago. I have enough wood to send you this winter. Will do.
Does anyone know where to get a Lavina? Cummins is sold out and I can’t find another source.
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I think you have to graft it then, its a pretty uncommon plum and I never saw a source besides Cummins.
I’ll have wood available next year. I do now, but it’s too late, it’s growing.
Has anyone in the Midwest tried it out? Was wondering if it was a disease magnet in my area.
Yes i grow them. I don’t ever remember if i had any last year…it was a terrible year for me for fruit. Yes it grows just fine up here in Wisconsin. The birds (i think its just my birds) love to poke at the red fruit and that makes me mad. Just spray for curculio early on and no issues with rot or anything.
Another one to try up here is Spring Satin. Mine have blooms after -33F…very early, very purple …
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When does Lavina ripen relative to pluots that you have? (I asked about pluots cause I have a bunch of them, so could relate the date to what I have).
Warmwxrules
I’m surprised Spring Satin fruited after -33. It’s a zone 5 fruit. Where were you growing this?
Its grafted on a prunus americana…not a great spot. Dark now but i can grab some pics here this coming week. The branch must be going on 4 or 5 years now.
Generally most of the stonefruit start ripening in August here with things like Flavor King more in Sept… … Spring Satin is early (late June/thru mid July)… as is Flavor Supreme (another good one but i think my tree is dead or not in good shape…it had a rough year last year too).
I’ll see if i can figure out the branch of lavina and see if i can get some pics to see if there is any blooms.
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That’s good to know. In growing some prunis Americana to use as rootstock for some zone 4 trees. I will include Spring Satin. What state and zone are you growing this?
It’s maybe around Dapple Dandy? I didn’t get any fruit on it the last two years (sick last year and freeze the year before) so I’m a little rusty on it. It is what I consider mid-late season for plums.
This spring I topworked a Black Ice to Lavina so I will have a healthy tree of it. My original tree may be recovering, not sure what happened but I think it has canker.
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