One of my young trees has a DWN label that reads “Catalina Plum”. After it fruited for the first time this summer, I’m almost sure it’s not Catalina. Based on the fruit looks, I suspect it’s Flavorosa Pluot (or maybe not). Can somebody ID this plum/pluot?
Here is some info:
Bloom started early (Feb. 13, about 6 days before Santa Rosa).
Fruit started to change color by mid-late May.
Harvest from end of May to mid-June.
Many fruits had split pit.
And here is another mystery… This tree was bought at a big-box store as Satsuma Plum, but it’s definitely something else. First harvest (four pieces of fruits) was in 2015, and this year the tree has set a large amount of fruit. The bloom is very early (earlier than any other plum that I have, about 8 days before Santa Rosa). Based on such early bloom, I suspect it’s a pluot rather than plum. The fruits ripen very late (mid-late September last year and starting from end of August this year; I would estimate it’s about one month later than Flavor King). Based on the ripening time, it might be Flavor Finale, but the fruit looks different, as much as I can judge from online photos of FF. The flavor is very good — in my opinion, at least as good as (but different than) a tree-ripened FK and better than typical FK from a farmers market. The fruit from my mystery tree has very juicy flesh with a rich sweet flavor, but a little bit acidic near the pit, and the skin is thick and tart. In comparison, FK is meatier and has thinner skin, but is not as juicy.
Here are photos that compare what I believe are Flavor King pluots (on the left) and fruits from my mystery plum/pluot (on the right). FK pluots are from a local farmers market ,and I think they have been in cool storage for a few weeks before being sold. My plums/pluots are right from the tree.
I searched extensively and cannot find a fit. Shape, skin color and flesh color are very similar to Satsuma, however, bloom is 7-10 days earlier and ripening is at least month later than Satsuma. Can it be a sport of Satsuma?
One possibility is “Late Blood” plum described in The Plums of New York (U. P. Hedrick, 1911), p 480.
Late Blood. Luther Burbank imported this variety in 1885; Bailey named it Hale in 1894 but changed it to Late Blood two years later. Similar to Satsuma; later, blooms earlier, is less pointed and differs in leaf-characters.
Another description:
Late Blood. — Small, round, dark purple, with red flesh, cling stone, fair in quality, late. Imported by Luther Burbank in 1888.
Another similar variety is “Ruby Blood”, which is popular in Australia. However, it is described as freestone, while my fruit is clingstone.
