I have these scions labeled as Mt Royal, but the fruit does not look like the pictures that I can find of Mt Ryal online. They are pink, golf ball sized (or slightly larger) and ripen about 1 week after Obilnaja plum and 1 week prior to Redhaven peach. Here are some pics:
Nope, not Mt. Royal. Those are almost black and late ripening.
Those are beauties. I wonder if they can be Opals. I’ve only gotten a couple from my tree so far but the taste was sublime. Mine ripened mid July in Western Washington. Deer damaged the tree somewhat this year but I’m hoping for the best. I will replace it if I have to. Another guess would be Coe’s Golden Drop but not sure when they ripen.
I have Coe’s. It ripens very late - October for me. Opal is a good thought though, it is an early plum.
Thanks Annie!
It’s not Opal for sure. One week before Redhaven is very early for a Euro plum, perhaps it’s Early Laxton.
Are all of them have a “dimple” at the bottom?
Could you cut it up to see what the flesh is like?
I like @stan’s guess. It’s the earliest Euro.
Opal consistently ripens end of July/early Aug. It is done now in my yard this year. It is very early for European plum. It is almost in the same hatvest window as Lavinia
I have a rosy guage… supposed to ripen mid August. It has not bloomed yet… started it and a mt royal spring 2018… no fruit… no blooms yet.
Patience required for EU plums…
Rosy Gage is a little bit more oval. Mine are 2-3 weeks after Redhaven. Opal looks kinda like that before it is ripe, which is just after Early Laxton. This pic, however, looks like Early Laxton to me.
I started to wonder if what I have is Early Laxton. It was supposed to be Jefferson but it is not.
Could it be Early Laxton?
Early Laxton is free stone. Mine ripened a while ago. Have any of your plums ripened yet? Its the very earliest European plum I know of and ripens before most Japanese plums too.
Mine have not ripened yet. The description from Trees of Antiquity seems to be in a ballpark. I got the scionwood from @BobVance who got the tree from TA but the label said Jefferson.
Early Laxton Plum – Trees of Antiquity.
I am in zone 6a. We have not had many sunny days. Some nurseries said it ripens in Aug. So, it is not far off. Honestly, I just hope mine is Early Laxton, not an unknown Asian plum
I’m almost positive that the “Jefferson” is not an Early Laxton. I’m also growing Early Laxton and the fruit wasn’t at all similar. Just as Murky said, the EL is far earlier than the ToA Jefferson. And tastier. And a different shape and color…
But the pics that SpokanePeach posted do look a bit like the EL. I think my EL were earlier than his though, I think mine were about 3 weeks before Redhaven (not that I have RH, but from what I understand, it is generally about the first week of August here).
Early Laxton from over a month ago on July 11th:
ToA Jefferson from 7/24:
Bob,
Your Early Laxton looked just like the description I read. The mystery of this “Jefferson” continues.
Could you please post the current pic of your “Jefferson”? Mine started to have red blush. Whatever this plum is, it sizes up well and is productive.
I am estimating the ripening time. 5 have dropped off and one remains attached. Redhavens should be ready in about a week.
On the picture of the one still attached to the tree, plum has a triangular crack at the bottom.
The flesh is yellow or amber.
We ate the one from the picture on the concrete and it seemed a little under ripe, like it cold have benefitted from another week on the tree.
Sorry to shatter your hope, but those are Asian plum leaves on your photos.
My plum seems to be free stone.