The label read “Blenheim” when I bought the bare root from HD last year, but it is not an apricot. Instead of heart shape leaves it has plum like leaves.
From chasing after a squirrel I accidentally knocked off 2 immature fruits this morning. They are still hard, maybe 2 weeks from ripe, kind of 2 weeks after Mid-Pride.
I thought it might be a Howard Miracle, or an Elephant Heart. Can you help me identify the variety? Thank you.
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Might it be ‘Blenheim Orange’? It’s a variety of apple
There are photos
And
https://www.waimeanurseries.co.nz/our-products/fruit-trees/apples/blenheim-orange/
Plum
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Does the tag say what nursery it’s from? That would help solve the mystery.
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Follow up with a picture when they are ripe. Its hard to tell how far along they are but once they are ripe a Howard Miracle looks nothing like Elephant Heart. Wickson is another popular plum in that shape; its looking too red for Wickson but its hard to tell until they are completely ripe.
It appears to be some generic nursery brand of some sort. No useful information on that tag.
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It’s definitely an Asian plum. I’m sure it’s not Howard Miracle but exact ID is difficult until it’s ripe.
BTW, some varieties of Asian plums can ripen in the fridge, put these knocked off fruits in a plastic bag and store in fridge for two-three weeks and they might become edible (not as good as tree-ripened but still ok). If they don’t color up in a few weeks, then throw them away.
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That “teat” shape is not on Howard Miracle that I have seen. I have seen that on Beauty and Superior along with Wickson and Elephant Heart. So I would guess it is probably one of those four plums. The leaf looks a bit more like a hybrid than a pure Japanese plum which ups the odds for Superior…
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Thank you for all your help. I’m in Los Angeles area, hot and dry. The color and shape look like Beauty, but I read Beauty ripens in June, The branches are very upright, which I have tried to weight down. Is Superior mother willowy?
Beauty ripens much earlier, also its fruit is elongated but without the “teat”. I agree that Superior is a strong candidate. Golden Nectar (if the fruit turns yellow at maturity) and Burbank are other possibilities.
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I think it’s a hybrid too, for a different reason than you do, that tag says “this fruit tree is specially selected for our western climate”, that sounds like they selected it out of some hybridization project, or like the people who hybridized it gave them that definition. Then again it’s mistagged.
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I can only wish to have fruit look like yours!
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