Cherry plum Traveler

Seedling of Dessert (Chinese plum 'Burbank' x Tavricheskaya Almond) from open pollination, obtained at the Crimean Experimental-Selection Station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing named after N.I. Vavilov. Authors: G.V. Yeremin, L.E. Velenchuk. Introduced into the State Register for the Central, Central-Chernozem, and North-Caucasian regions in 1986.

Medium-growing tree with a round, moderately dense crown. Grey, smooth trunk with numerous, medium-sized lenticels. Shoots are straight and thick — 3.5–4.0 mm, with numerous large, anthocyanin-containing lenticels, no coloration. Branches that develop from buds are long (spear-like), short-lived. Flower buds are medium-sized, oval with a pointed apex, slightly protruding. Scale color at bud opening is green. Leaf blade: shoot direction upward, oval shape, base heart-shaped, apex strongly pointed, length-to-width ratio 2:1. Upper leaf surface light green, moderately shiny, hairless. Lower leaf surface has weak pubescence. Leaf margin has crenate serration. Leaf margin waviness is moderate. Glands are located at the base of the leaf and petiole. Petiole is medium-length — 12 mm, hairless, medium thickness — 1.1 mm. Groove depth is moderate, no anthocyanin coloration. From each bud, two large flowers develop — 28 mm… Pedicel is long — 18 cm. Petals are slightly closed. Calyx lobes are oval, 4 mm long, 3 mm wide. Petals are egg-shaped, medium size — 11 mm long, 9 mm wide. Leaf margin waviness is moderate. Stigma is positioned above the anthers. Petal color is white. Anther color is yellow. One stigma, longer than stamens, no additional stigmas.

Fruit of medium size, height 29 mm, width 30 mm, thickness 28 mm, mass 28 g, round shape, maximum diameter closer to the base, asymmetrical. Ventral suture is weakly expressed, straight along the entire length. Waxy coating is weak. Apex is rounded, pit of moderate depth. Skin color is primarily yellow, covering color is red-violet, solid, without stripes or subcutaneous dots, many yellow dots, no pubescence. Skin separates with difficulty, medium consistency. Flesh is orange, soft, fine-fibrous, medium juiciness, cavity color matches flesh, cut surface darkens slowly in air. Low acidity, moderate sugar content, strong aroma. Stone is medium, mass 0.62 g, 3.90% of fruit mass, length 16 mm, width 11 mm, thickness 7 mm, shape from ventral suture is elongated-cylindrical, symmetrical, maximum width at base. Ridge is not developed, surface is rough. Edges of dorsal suture partially fused, entire. Ventral suture width is medium, base width is narrow, base shape is rounded, apex is moderately pointed. Poorly separates from flesh. Pedicel is medium length, thin.

Fruits are suitable for fresh consumption and for preservation. Evaluation of preserved products from fruits: juice with flesh — 4.3 points, compote — 4.0 points, jam — 4.3 points, frozen fruits — 4.2 points. Fruits contain, per fresh weight: dry matter — 12.31%, sugars — 7.6%, including sucrose — 4.6%, monosaccharides — 3.0%, acids — 2.50%, sugar-acid index 3.0, pectin substances — 0.82%, polyphenols — 478 mg/100g, anthocyanins — 42.9 mg/100g, ascorbic acid — 6.6 mg/100g.

Blooms in mid-season — in the second decade of April. Self-sterile. Good pollinator for varieties of almond, Chinese and Russian plum. Ripe early — in early July. High and regular yield. High winter hardiness. Moderate drought resistance. Resistant to Clasterosporium, Monilinia, and viral diseases.

Advantages of the variety: winter hardiness, early ripening, high fruit quality and yield.

Disadvantages: insufficient large fruit size, weak fruit consistency, non-detachable stone.