Except we still don’t know if it’s going to be a bush or a tree. Haha…
So much still to figure out.
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where did you get the original plant? ive never heard of it.
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ARS GRIN repository
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Yes, I received it from ARS GRIN. They have a couple grafts of it, but it hasn’t grown well for them so to my knowledge they haven’t ever listed is as “available.” I was only able to get it cause I reached out by email to discuss it and they were kind enough to send me some very skinny little twigs. I think they just have it on the wrong rootstocks cause it’s grown fairly well for me this past year on both Aronia and ×Sorbaronia rootstocks. I’m currently attempting to get own root specimens started as well.
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Hopefully you have luck getting it on its own roots. It definitely seems like it has potential and given that the ARS GRIN has had some trouble with it, you might be the person to keep it alive and in circulation.
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I stuck four cuttings in late winter.
1 appears fully dead
1 appears on death’s doorstep
2 appear hopeful
Ironically, size doesn’t seem to be a factor since the largest and the smallest are the two which look like survivors.
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50% is a great success rate! Hopefully they continue to develop well.
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So far I don’t see any roots at the drain holes, so I’m not confident in their success yet.
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Looks like ‘Appleberry’ is a diploid and will require cross-pollination for fruit set!
With only pears nearby for cross-pollination (both open and by hand), very few of the flowers show signs of swelling to form fruits. In each of the following two pictured clusters, each has only a single berry swelling.
Meanwhile, ‘Appleberry’ with another Aronia for cross-pollination is setting berries at a good percentage of its flowers, but still not at 100% like an apomictic tetraploid Aronia.
This should make it a good candidate for breeding work.
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Does that mean “Appleberry” is able to cross pollinate with pears? Even if it’s a very low chance of happening?
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That does seem to be a reasonable assumption at this point. I will be attempting to collect and germinate all seeds from the ‘Appleberry’ pollinated by pears (assuming they don’t abort). Leaf morphology of any resulting offspring should clarify whether they did in fact result from hybridization. If the results are promising I’m sure we’ll see a bunch of people working on this cross in the near future.
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Add me to the list of people very interested in getting their hands on this. I’m also attempting to grow Sorbus americana (I took a cutting with roots from a naturally layered branch I found) for future use in breeding projects since Sorbus species (sensu stricto) are pretty well known for being able to hybridize with other genera fairly easily and purchased a Aronia melanocarpa (variety Ground hugger which is diploid if I understand correctly) plant earlier this year that I will definitely be attempting to pollinate it with pollen from mountain ashes next year and will be attempting to pollinate some wild mountain ash trees with pollen I collected from it earlier this year. I don’t have too much space for growing trees so if anyone wants to try growing any seeds that result I’m more than happy to send them out, or perhaps I’ll try distributing seedlings to people nearby or saplings once it is clear they are of hybrid origin. Until my mountain ash gets established and starts flowering or I find a mature one I can get permission to dig up I probably won’t be bagging any mountain ashes flowers to prevent cross pollination so I’ll just be growing all the seeds from the flowers I hand pollinate and hoping some end up as hybrids (fortunately there’s a lot of flowers per tree so I figured the odds are decent)
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I’ve lost almost all the berries on the ‘Appleberry’ grafts I have on an in ground Aronia due to deer preferentially stripping the ‘Appleberry’ branches over the Aronia branches…
However, the potted ‘Appleberry’ graft that I isolated from other Aronia, but which was likely pollinated by pear is still holding around 9-10 berries which are now getting pretty close to ripe.
Moving on to an update on the rootability of ‘Appleberry’ cuttings, I’m now down to only one surviving cutting from the original four I attempted to root. I can’t yet confirm that it has roots, but it is very likely forming roots now since it is still holding its original spring leaves and is now slowly trying to begin growing a couple more.
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Thank you for the update! I’m glad some of the berries are still available to hopefully trial!
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What type of pears do you have in close proximity that could be the pollen donor? Are you planning on growing out the seeds from the “likely pear” pollinated fruit ?
That could be an interesting tree and fruit.
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The pears which had bloom overlap with the ‘Appleberry’ were ‘Seckel’ and ‘Bosc’. If there are viable seeds, I will try to grow them out.
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Johann, thanks for all of your incredible Aronia info. I’m on a similar deep dive for the tastiest Aronia. I’m especially interested in the phenolic benefits for human health. Is the other GRIN Aronia cultivar that you’re growing 30007? I’m also growing 34423. Both are their first season so are just setting their first fruits. I’m really interested in your apple berry observations. Thank you for taking the time to observe and share.
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I have PI 662003/Ames 27010 fruiting for the first time this year (for me at least). They are getting close to ripe now.
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I look forward to hearing your tasting report on Northwest Park. Mine are still too small to bear. I’ll let you know how 30007 tastes next year. Happy to share with you if it looks promising. I’m hoping to get Pl 662003. I saw a report that said it has the highest measured brix. Please let me know when you have any suckers or scionwood you can offer. Happy to purchase it. Seems important to preserve this Aronia breeding work. They are such a powerhouse of nutrition. It’s nice to be connected with you.
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Which was the variety that your colleague recommended as the only one worth eating?
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