University of Minnesota Horticultural Releases
The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station has been supporting the work of University of Minnesota plant breeders for many decades. Since the early 1900s those breeders have released hundreds of varieties of fruits, flowers, vegetables, as well as agronomic crops such as barleys, wheats, corn and soybeans. Some very well known nationally distributed varieties were developed and released by the University of Minnesota, including such apple stalwarts as the Beacon, Haralson and Regent, and landscape ornamentals such as the Northern Sun forsythia and Northern Lights azalea.
In all, since 1920, about 100 varieties of fruits, more than 100 flowering plants and ornamentals, and more than 60 vegetable varieties have been named and released by the University.
These lists of releases were compiled by staff of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station and the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science. Contributors included Neil Anderson, Dave Davis, Esther Gesick, Dave Hansen, Jim Luby, Christian Thill and Mike Zins.
Many of the release dates and notes on individual varieties were taken from Leon Snyder's History of the Department of Horticultural Science & Landscape Architecture, 1849-1982. Additional information was supplied by University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station plant breeders, current and retired. The date listed for each release is when it was believed to have been made generally available to the public. "Official" release dates, as recorded in the records of the University's Variety Release Committee, may sometimes differ.
The University's plant breeders work closely with Minnesota's horticultural industry. Plants developed by University of Minnesota researchers are propagated by wholesale growers, for eventual resale to consumers through local retail outlets.
None of the plants in these lists are directly available from the University of Minnesota. Notes on the lists indicate whether they are current varieties you can expect to find through major nurseries, heirloom varieities you will need to seek out through specialized sources, or varieties that are believed to no longer be available.
Agronomic Crops
Including the newly released RB07 and Ada wheat varieties
Chrysanthemums
garden types, greenhouse types
Ornamental Shrubs
azaleas, dogwood, forsythia, honeysuckle, pearlbush, viburnum
Ornamental Trees
buckeye, corktree, flowering crabapple, jack pine, Kentucky coffeetree, prunus, redbud, red maple, red pine
Small Fruits
blueberry, currant, gooseberry, grape, raspberry, strawberry
Tree Fruits
apple, apricot, cherry, cherry-plum, crabapple, pear, plum
Vegetables
cucumber, green pea, muskmellon, parsley, parsnip, pigeonpea, potato, snap bean, southernpea, squash, sweetcorn, tomato
This list is not exhaustive. There certainly were additional releases not reflected in the available records and the memories of the contributors. MAES welcomes corrections and additions: contact Dave Hansen.