Characteristics Tables - Growing Stone Fruits in Minnesota Home Gardens

F0-01125 Revised 1997

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Growing Stone Fruits in Minnesota Home Gardens

Characteristics of Apricots

Common Name	Cultivar	Zone	Fruit Characteristics	Comments
Hybrid Apricot	Moongold	1-2	Medium size, sweet, juicy, ripens unevenly, prone to splitting and premature fruit drop	Must be planted with Sungold to produce fruit
Hybrid Apricot	Sungold	1-2	Small, mild, sweet	Must be planted with Moongold to produce fruit

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Characteristics of Cherries

Common Name	Cultivar	Zone	Fruit Characteristics	Comments
Tart Cherry	Mesabi	1-3	Similar to Meteor but sweeter than Meteor or North Star	A cross between a sweet and a tart cherry
	Meteor	1-3	Larger than North Star, bright red with yellow flesh	Fruit matures 7-10 days later than North Star, may sustain less bird damage
	North Star	1-3	¾" diameter, dark mahogany with dark red flesh	Only 6-10' in height, very ornamental
Nanking Cherry	Drilea	1-4	Small, bright scarlet red	Both Drilea and Orient have a flavor between sweet and tart cherries
	Orient	1-4	½" diameter, bright red	Excellent for jelly
	seedling*	1-4	varies	Named cultivars usually superior in fruit quality
Sand Cherry	Black Beauty	1-4	¾" diameter, purplish black
	Brooks	1-4	same
	Sioux	1-4	same
	seedling	1-4	varies	Unnamed seedlings are usually of satisfactory quality*

* Both Nanking cherry and sand cherry seedlings may be found in nurseries as "Hansen Bush Cherry."

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Characteristics of Plums

Common Name	Cultivar	Zone	Fruit Characteristics	Comments
European Plum	Dietz	1-3	Small, bluish-black skin, good quality plums, fruit is slow to drop	Hardiest of the European
	Mount Royal	1-2	Smallish size, bluish-black skin, very good quality, freestone	Hardier than 'Stanley'
	Stanley	1-2	Medium size, blue skin, good quality
Hybrid Plum	Alderman	1-3	Large size, burgundy skin, golden flesh	Tree is attractive in landscape due to horizontal branch habit
	LaCrescent	1-4	Early, small to medium in size, yellow skin, flavor is suggestive of apricots, freestone	Only moderately productive
	Pembina	1-3	Large size, yellow flesh
	Pipestone	1-3	Large size, red skin	Good for jam and jelly
	Redglow	1-3	Large size, late, red, astringent skin	Good for jam and jelly
	South Dakota	1-4	Medium size, red over yellow skin	Pollinizer
	Superior	1-2	Very large size, red, slightly astringent skin	Good for jam and jelly
	Toka	1-2	Small size, red skin, good flavor	Pollinizer
	Underwood	1-4	Medium-large size, very early
	Compass	1-4	Small, red, acidic	Pollinizer
Cherry Plum	Opata	1-4	Medium size, purple
	Red Diamond	1-4	Medium to large, reddish purple	Good for multiple uses
	Sapa	1-4	Medium size, reddish purple	Good for multiple uses

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