This time, the seedling is a heart shaped plum. The one I ate yesterday was dead ripe and soft and juicy. They have an intense flavour like moro oranges, so I think the purple has a flavour.
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i got 4 black ice that set this spring. all were really good. best ive ever had but also 1st tree ripened plum I’ve tasted. good size as well. hopefully my 2 other grafted plums and a brookcot apricot bloom as well next year and give me a full crop. the tree is a 12fter already.
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Hi there Jocelyn, fellow Canadian here, (west coast). This sounds like a great discovery, I’d sure love to learn more.
So, what plum variety did the seed originate from?
Was the seed obtained from open pollination, or was it an intentional cross?
Do you know the variety of plum that was most likely the pollenizer, if it was open pollenated?
A few more details would be nice, such as:
How long did it take for the tree to start producing fruit?
How early does this tree bloom in the spring?
Is this your first crop?
What is the size and age of the tree?
Is it producing a full crop, or very sparsely at this point?
I’d love to learn more, and possibly swap scion wood this winter.
Could you please post another picture with a quarter beside it for better size comparison if possible.
Thanks in advance.
We were just about to eat the last one, grin. Here is your pic with a quarter. The tree came from some grocery store fruits labelled dapple dandy, and they did look like the photos of dapple dandy. Pollen parent unknown, and there is one more seedling which has not fruited yet. It will be later, as FIONA broke it off and it had to start again. This is the first fruiting, and the tree is 6. It bloomed 2 years ago, but didn’t like the only pollinator at the time and didn’t set fruits. This year a la Crescent bloomed and they made nice. it b looms about when the p americanas bloom, if you have any of those. There were 6 fruits on a very small tree.
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Thanks for that info Jocelyn.
I also have Dapple Dandy, but it has not fruited yet. I have a La Crescent as well which is already blooming, but no fruit as yet. I do have Prunis Americana, but it could be several years before it blooms as it is still tiny. In addition I have Canada Plum (Prunis Nigra) that is blooming, but no fruit yet either.
Lots of natural Euro prune plum seedlings have sprung up on the property over the last 60 years. 75 - 80% of those trees the fruit quality has been pretty good, but they were more disease prone than the parent trees. For those reasons and dwindling productivity, poor locations etc, I have removed most of the seedlings that were remaining on the property. I definitely like the vigor and longevity of seedling trees, but do not like the time to fruit (as I’m older) and don’t want to wait 7 - 10 years for fruit.
I have dwarfing root stocks on most of my current in ground trees (approx 50). My next wave of plantings will likely be full size trees to clear the deer browse line, as I don’t intend to fence my entire property.
I also live on an Island (off the BC coast) and rarely ever go to the mainland. I love island life and certainly don’t miss the big cities in the least. Not missing the rat race at all since my retirement. 
I am retired also, but as I like surprises, I’ll be planting right up till I can’t. You do what suits you 
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P nigra might bloom too early to pollinate…
My Canada plum trees actually seem to bloom later than my hybrid plums. I was considering moving a potted one inside in January and trying to get it blooming earlier to sync up with my hybrids and pluots.
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An interesting story that illustrates what cross pollination can achieve and gives me a compelling reason to continue saving my open pollinated seeds from natives and native hybrids so I can grow them out among my local natives. Going into next season I have about 35 plum varieties that can cross pollinate coming from Canada to Mexico, so I hope to get some interesting results as I grow out their seeds. I have been planting my excess seeds alongside a local public trail that parallels a perennial stream so it should eventually host a nice multi variety thicket to observe.
Dennis
Kent, Wa
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