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Tree Fruits

THE UNIVERSITY'S fruit breeding program began nearly a century ago and is one of the oldest, continuous programs in North America. With support from the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, plant breeders faced the challenge of the rigorous Minnesota climate, from extreme subzero winters to hot and dry summers. In the early 1900s, parent trees were collected from the wild as well as from Midwest and New England growers. Early researchers produced thousands of fruit seedlings from those parent trees. As with research then and now, hard work combined with chance led to major breakthroughs. The winter of 1917-18 set records for extreme cold; however, some progeny of "Malinda" - a New England apple - survived and were a boon to Minnesota's breeding program. "Haralson," "Folwell" and "Minnehaha" were siblings released in the early 1920s, and some of "Malinda's" genes live on in "Honeygold" and even "Honeycrisp"^TM. The plethora of U of M plums introduced in the 1920s can also be traced to the severe test winter of 1917-18.

C H E R R I E S

TART CHERRIES Meteor - 1952 - vigorous red pie cherry, self-compatible, requiring no pollinator Northstar - 1950 - semi-dwarf, self-compatible NANKING CHERRIES Orient - 1949 CHERRY-PLUMS Deep Purple - 1965 Nicollet - 1924 St. Anthony - 1923 Zumbra - 1920

'Meteor' tart cherry is hardy in central and southern Minnesota. One tree will produce fruit; it does not require another tree for pollination and fruit set.

A P R I C O T S Sungold - 1960 - yellow with red blush, very hardy, plant with Moongold for fruit set Moongold - 1960 - golden yellow 'Sungold' apricot is a fine ornamental small tree, but will not set fruit consistently in Minnesota due to the high probability of frost injury to the flowers. Key to Tables Varieties are listed with year of introduction. Bold type indicates these are available from retail nurseries. Regular type indicates heirloom varieties with limited availability.

TODAY, U OF M RESEARCHERS combine traditional plant breeding methods with modern techniques. Laboratory freezing tests during the winter help select the hardiest grape selections without waiting for the once-in-a-decade test winter. Precocious dwarfing rootstocks reduce the years and space required to grow thousands of seedlings. In vitro or "test tube" micro-propagation (tissue culture) provides a rapid means of propagating disease-free stocks of blueberries, raspberries, and grapes. And recently, U of M scientists made plant acquisition expeditions to capitalize on the hardiness of wild varieties in the extreme climates of Kazakstan and China. At the end of the century, only a few states have fruit breeding programs and the U of M is the last major program in the Midwest.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Apples for Minnesota, FO-1111
Pruning Fruit Trees, MI-0556
Home Fruit Spray Guide, FO-0675
Growing Stone Fruits in Minnesota, FO-1125

P E A R S

Summercrisp - 1985 - hardy, sweet flavor and crisp fruit Golden Spice - 1949 - small fruit, very hardy Bantam - 1940 Parker - 1934

'Summercrisp' pear is hardy in most of Minnesota. To improve productivity, plant another type of pear to act as a pollinator.

P L U M S
Alderman Pipestone Superior LaCrescent Underwood 1986 1942 1933 1923 1920 high quality, hardy, attractive small landscape tree large red fruit, tolerates dry soils hybrid with large, pointed fruits, excellent eating yellow fruit hardy, vigorous tree, large fruit Redglow South Dakota Redcoat Elliot Radisson Mendota 1949 1949 1942 1936 1925 1924 Hennepin Waconia Anoka Goldenrod Mound 1923 1923 1922 1922 1921 Winona Ember Monitor Red Wing Tonka 1921 1920 1920 1920 1920
'Alderman' plums have large golden flesh with burgundy skin. The horizontal branches make it an attractive small tree for landscape use. Plant 'Superior,' 'Toka,' or 'Compass' as pollinators along with 'Alderman' for best fruit set. 'Superior' plum is nearly 70 years old and still popular for its showy flowers and delicious fruit.

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