Here's a plum description from The California Fruits and How to Grown Them (Edward Wickson, 1889, p. 281): "Gaviota - Burbank cross of Japanese and native American; very large, deep red; flesh yellow, firm and sweet; pit small; rather late bloomer. Favored in the Vacaville district for shipping " Native American? Native Californian?
Wickson's book has a chapter called "The Wild Fruits of California" that is helpful to know which California native fruits were known.
I've copied part of this chapter so I can [note it] with the current species names, other publications that were listed in the footnotes, and with photos of the plants.
Chapter IV
Malus fusca from Calflora |
Prunus subcordata |
Early efforts were made to domesticate these wild plums,
and they showed themselves susceptible of improvement by cultivation
to a certain extent. In 1856 there was on the Middle
Yuba River, not far from Forest City, in Sierra County, a wayside
establishment, known as "Plum Valley Ranch," so called from the great quantity of wild plums growing on and about
the place. The plum by cultivation gave a more vigorous
growth and larger fruit [Report California Agricultural Society, 1858, p. 183]. Transplanted from the mountains
into the valley they are found to ripen earlier [Cal. Culturist, 1858, p. 242]. Transplanted
from the mountains to a farm near the coast, in Del Norte
County, they did not thrive [Pacific Rural Press, Vol. IV, p. 198]. One
variety, moved from the hills near Petaluma, in 1858, was grown as an orchard tree for fifteen years, and improved
both in growth and quality of
fruit by cultivation [Pacific Rural Press, Vol. IV, p. 163]. The attention
of fruit growers was early drawn to the possible value of the wild plum
as grafting stock, and it is reported
to have done fairly well on trial [Pacific Rural Press, Vol. IV, p. 198]. Recently excellent results have been
reported from the domestication of
the native plum in Nevada County,
and fruit shown at the State fair of
1888 gave assurance that by cultivation
and by selecting seedlings valuable varieties can be obtained. It is stated [Letter from S. B. Davidson, Downieville] that in Sierra
County the wild plum is the only plum which finds a market at good prices and that cultivated gages, blue and egg plums scarcely pay for gathering. The wild plum makes delicious preserves.
Oso berry from Calflora |
We have several species of Prunus, which may be called wild cherries. The first is commonly called the wild cherry, [Prunus demissa, now Prunus subcordata] and is an erect, slender shrub, two to twelve feet high, bearing on a raceme a round, purplish-black or red fruit, with a round stone. The fruit is edible, but somewhat astringent. This species occurs throughout the State, except near the coast, extends northward to the Columbia River, and eastward to the Rocky Mountains. This species very closely resembles the choke-cherry and the wild black cherry of the Atlantic States. Some observers, however, protest against calling it a choke-cherry, be- cause it has none of the properties of that cherry. The wild fruit is used to some extent for marmelade [J. G. Lemmon, in Rural Press, Feb. 22, 1879.]. It has been cultivated to some extent in places near its habitat. In 1858 there was quite a plantation of it in the foot-hills east of Marysville. [Agricultural Society Report, I 58, p. 174.] As it grows well on cool north hill-sides in the Southern counties, it has been suggested [Rural Californian, Vol. X, p. 107] that the improved cherries, which are, as a rule, not satisfactory so far as tried in that part of the State, might succeed if planted in the places where the wild cherry thrives ; or the wild roots might prove trustworthy and valuable stocks on which to work the improved varieties. They were used for this purpose in Oregon in 1850 because there were no other cherry stocks available. An excellent growth of graft was secured, but the stock was condemned because of suckering. [Seth Lewelling, in N.W. Horticulturist, November, 1887]
Prunus emarginata, from Calflora |
Prunus ilicifolia from Wikipedia |
Prunus lilicifolia ssp. lyonii from CNPS |
Prunus andersonii from Wikipedia |
[article continues....grapes, berries, nuts]
The following are my efforts to sort out the names and provide additional information:
- Oregon Crabapple was noted here as Pirus rivularis (Hortus 3 has Pyrus rivularis noted as now Malus fusca): Calflora for Malus fusca, Coastal Northern California.
- Prunus subcordata - California Wild plum - Calflora, Las Pilitas (Plant next to bird bath, tolerates flooding.), reportedly very tasty.
- Wild Crabapple (Peraphyllum ramosissimum): Calflora. Sierran
The following are references in the original chapter:
- A. Kellogg, in Hutching's Magazine, Vol. 5, p. 7 "California Wild Plum"
- A. Kellogg, in Hutching's Magazine, Vol. 5, p. 9 "California False Plum, Nuttallia Cerasiformis"
- "Wild Plums and Crab Apples." (Pacific Rural Press, Volume 4, Number 13, 28 September 1872) referred back to 1858 California Culturalist, p. 11 and p. 242.
Further references
- Sketch of the Evolution of Our Native Fruits, L.H. Bailey
Thank you for the very informative and well organized article! You had exactly the information for which I was searching, and I loved your easily checked references sprinkled throughout the article.
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