European plum Gift to Primorye

This variety was developed at the Far Eastern Experimental Station of VNIIR in 1985 from the cross of hybrid apricot 'Gift to Friends' x 'Ussuri Prunus'. Authors: V.P. Tsarenko, N.A. Tsarenko. The variety has undergone state testing since 2006.

Tree up to 3.8 m tall. Compact, broad-pyramidal crown, moderately dense. Bark color gray, with numerous light lenticels. One-year branches brown with anthocyanin on the sun-exposed side. Buds of medium size, form in one-year and multi-year wood in groups of three, outer generative, middle vegetative, deviated from the branch. Leaf blade oval (10.3 x 5.0 cm), dark green, medium thickness, with pointed apex and sharp base. Surface smooth, without pubescence. Leaf blade margin finely double-toothed. Petiole 1.6 cm long, light green, with 1-2 glands. Flowers form two to three from the bud, small, 1.8 cm in diameter of the corolla, petals white, oval, freely arranged. Stamens 24, length 0.6 cm. Pistil one, 0.7 cm long, stigma positioned above the anthers, ovary unpubescent. Calyx bell-shaped, medium size, flower stalk length 1.6 cm. Flowering and fruiting type on multi-year and one-year wood: fruiting spurs, cluster branches.

Fruit large, elongated-oval shape, average weight 32 g, maximum 35 g. Main color dark-purple, turning black upon full ripening, with blue waxy coating. Apex oval, slightly sloped, base with narrow cup. Ventral suture well-defined. Flesh reddish, firm, fibrous, juicy. Pedicel 2.0 cm long, thick. Stone elongated-oval with beak on top, average weight 2.1 g, constitutes 5.7% of flesh weight. Fruit appearance attractive and appealing. Flesh sugary, with mild aroma, slightly tart-sweet, pleasant. Taste rating 4.5 points. Semi-dry detachment of fruits. Fresh fruits contain dry matter — 14.2%, sugars — 8.0%, acids — 1.4%, ascorbic acid — 21 mg/100g. Fruits are transportable. Agricultural use is universal: consumption fresh and preservation — jams, compote, marmalade, juice, etc.

Flowering period May 7-17, fruit ripening period August 24 - September 5. Enters fruiting on 3-4 year, plant longevity 25 years. Self-sterile, well pollinated by simultaneously blooming Ussuri plum varieties. Visual yield rating 5 points. Average yield 32 kg per tree at 7 years old. Fruiting regular. In southern Primorsky Krai, multi-year and one-year branches are winter-hardy, flower buds not damaged by winter frosts and spring frosts. Drought-tolerant, does not tolerate excessive moisture. Resistant to clasterosporiosis, affected by plum fruit moth up to 2 points.

Advantages: large, attractive-looking fruits with good taste, high yield, winter hardiness, resistance to clasterosporiosis.

Disadvantages: branches droop under heavy fruit load.