Early
Italian
An excellent commercial European early Italian prune variety that comes on ten
days to two weeks earlier than Italian thus extending the season. Has the good
fruiting habits and qualities of the Italian, but is not quite as firm. Still
a good shipper. Large, purple fruit. Resembles Italian prune in shape and color.
Elephant
Heart
Japanese plum. Fruit is very large, purplish red and thick skinned. Freestone
flesh is blood red, very juicy with excellent flavor and quality. Tree is self-fertile,
but produces best when cross pollinated. Pollinate with Beauty, Redheart or
Santa Rosa. Matures 4 weeks after Santa Rosa. Good for fresh eating, canning
and freezing.
Mariposa
Japanese plum. Large, purple-red freestone fruit overlaid with glowing lilac
bloom. Blood red, flesh that is tender, juicy and very sweet. A freestone. Keeps
well. One of the best backyard varieties, especially in California. Pollinate
with Santa Rosa, Beauty, or Nubiana.
Santa
Rosa
Japanese plum. A standard of the season, both in volume and name recognition.
Fruit is medium to large, somewhat heart shaped and can lack firmness during
high temperatures. Skin is a dark purplish crimson color with a yellow flesh
that has a delicious flavor, fragrant, clingstone, and juicy. Eating quality
is very good. Blossoms are self-fertile, but produce larger crops when planted
with other varieties and is often used as a pollinator.
Satsuma
Japanese plum. Medium to large, nearly round, dark red fruit with a small pit.
Flesh is purplish-red, firm, meaty, juicy flesh, red to the pit. Sweet, lively
flavor, A semi-freestone. Excellent for fresh eating, cooking, canning or preserves.
Upright tree is partially self-fruitful. Pollinate for improved production with
Japanese varieties as Beauty, Shiro, Santa Rosa and Wickson.
