| Cultivar Name: |
Wickson
|
| Type |
Plum/prune |
| Patent |
Not Patented
|
| Parentage |
‘Burbank’ (P. salicina) × ‘Simon’ (P. Simonii)
|
| Species |
Prunus salicina
|
| Usage |
Scion
|
| Products |
Dried
Fresh Market
|
| Chill Requirement |
500 chill hours required
|
| Flesh Color |
amber yellow
|
| Pit |
Cling
|
| Ripening time |
+3
weeks relative to
Santa Rosa
|
| Self Compatible |
Partially Self Compatible
|
| Pollinators |
Friar, Kelsey, Nubiana, Santa Rosa, Queen Ann
|
| Description |
Japanese plum.
Excerpt from 'Luther Burbank's Plums': "‘Wickson’ resulted from a cross made by Burbank ˜1887 of ‘Burbank’ (P. salicina) × ‘Simon’ (P. Simonii) (Howard, 1945) or ‘Kelsey’ (Hedrick, 1911). Introduced in 1895, and first advertised for sale as ‘Perfection’, it was renamed after the eminent pomologist Edward J. Wickson. The tree vigorous, productive, upright, not very cold-hardy, and self-sterile. Fruit are very large for its era, heart-shaped like ‘Kelsey’, but more symmetrical; skin ripens to yellowish red or solid red; the pit is small and clingstone; flesh is coarse, amber yellow, translucent, tender, and juicy; flavor is good but not the best (Allen, 1929; Hedrick, 1911; Howard, 1945). Season is mid-July in Fresno. In the 1910s and 1920s, it was one of the most important cultivars shipped from California (Allen, 1929; Hedrick, 1911); by 1940 it was still the fifth most important Burbank plum cultivar in California (after ‘Beauty’, ‘Duarte’, ‘President’, and ‘Santa Rosa’), but starting to decline, as some 2,000 acres were grown and 186,000 crates were shipped (Howard, 1945–46). By 2008 just 4000 packages were shipped, and today ‘Wickson’ is little grown commercially but still popular for farmers’ markets and home gardens."
Very popular for fresh eating.
Big, yellow heart-shaped greenish-yellow fruit with pink tip when perfect. Very sweet, translucent flesh. Little or no tartness at skin or pit. Very low in acid. Eats like a peach. Dries well.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6-9
Harvest Season: mid-season |
| References |
- Fruit, Berry and Nut Inventory. Third Edition. 2001. Seed Savers Exchange, Inc.
- UC Davis Fruit and Nut Research & Information. Link
- Burchell Nursery Fruit and Nut Tree Varieties. Link
- Dave Wilson Nursery. Link
- Growing Temperate Tree Fruit and Nut Crops
in the Home Garden and Landscape, Home Orchard UC Davis; Link
- Luther Burbank’s Plums, Hort Science; Link
|
|
