Subject: Prunus Domestica Domestica

From: [email-masked] (J. Meade)
Date: 16 Aug 96 13:17:48 GMT

Does anyone know if prunus domestica domestica, known in German as
Zwetschge, are available and will grow in the US, zone 5?
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Jim - Farmer - Iowa City, IA, 
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Ryan Kyle)
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 02:37:42 -0700

In article <[email-masked]>,

> Zwetschge, are available and will grow in the US, zone 5?

Well, we live in Sunset zone 5 and plain old prunus domestica grows just
fine here but I think the heavy rains ruined any chance of fruit this
summer. It's not even September and we've already had 30" here in W.
Washington. A little too wet for me though! Whatever the case, I hope your
plum grows. TTYL

-- 
Ryan Kyle                         http://www.wolfenet.com/~rpkyle/
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Beverly Erlebacher)
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1996 19:47:20 GMT

>Zwetschge, are available and will grow in the US, zone 5?

P. domestica is the common European species of plum.  The fruits are
generally oval in shape, and the flesh is firm and free-stone.  They
are sometimes called prune plums or Italian plums.  The common ones
are purple with a blue bloom and green or yellow flesh.  They are
used for making canned plums, prunes and jam as well as fresh eating,
and are grown commercially in the Niagara region of Ontario.  They are
hardier than peaches and Japanese plums (P.salicina) but not as hardy
as some of the plums derived from P.americana that are grown on the
Canadian prairies.

There are a lot of cultivars, some older ones are Stanley and Fellenberg.
The Vineland research station in Ontario has developed many hardy commercial
varieties - most of the names start with V or Vee.  In this climate they
ripen in September and October.

The hardiest cultivar I know of is Mont Royal, which will produce in 
Canadian Zone 4, approximately USDA Z3, I think.

I've eaten the German cake called Zwetschge Kuchen, a layer of pound cake,
more or less, with closely packed rows of halved fresh plums baked on top.
Great stuff!

Hope this helps you find some in US catalogs.

Beverly Erlebacher
Toronto, Ontario Canada

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From: [email-masked] (J. Meade)
Date: 25 Aug 96 01:13:14 GMT

Beverly,

thanks a lot for the info.  Exactly what I needed.  I have the German
cook, now I just need the prunes <g>.
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