9 Comments

We planted what were probably American Plums on our homestead in Minnesota. They produced abundantly in short order. We found the ones picked off the ground were sweet enough to eat. We also preserved them. Thanks for the reminder, Travis. We now live in the Ozarks, and it looks like two of the varieties you mentioned would be good candidates for planting. I wrote them down.

Expand full comment

That’s awesome! Hopefully you can get some started on your new property. Thanks for sharing. I appreciate it! 🙏🏼

Expand full comment

How about wild apple and wild plum? Theoretically "escaped" cultivars, they are thorny and delicious. I've sprouted some wild apples, but want to expand into the pears.

I already harvest plums, mulberries, pawpae, and persmmons. As well as wild berries.

Looking to make a 3-acre garden out of perennial vegetables withe these. Permaculture.

Expand full comment

That’s awesome Robert! That is the best method of ag in my opinion. Agroforestry and permaculture.

I posted a newsletter on wild apples a few weeks ago. Here it is: https://open.substack.com/pub/backyardberry/p/building-a-sustainable-nursery-9cf?r=4hapgz&utm_medium=ios

Expand full comment

Thank you! While living in New England, we had a thicket of wild plums, which bloomed gorgeously every year in a cloudbank of white blossoms that attracted fly pollinators. They bloom earlier than most bees are active, so they rely on flies - and smell like it, if you ever have a chance to get close. Unfortunately, in twenty years we never got a reliable crop as they were infected by something, I suspect a viroid, which left the fruits puffy and hollow, falling off before they could mature into ripeness.

I am very much looking forward to the other native fruit trees you plan to highlight.

Expand full comment

Oh wow. Thanks for sharing that with us Cedar. I’ve also had the darndest time growing ripe native plums on my property. I think I just probably need to plant hundreds more.

I look forward to publishing them. Thanks again. 🙏

Expand full comment

Great topic, great example of consideration, a simply a great piece. Thank you, BB.

Expand full comment

I appreciate that. 🙏

Expand full comment

Appreciate you. You're responding to your wishes of our colleagues, with very concise and usable info. I'm not sure how that dynamic gets improved upon. I really appreciate stumbling into you two accounts ago🤣

it's been a long time since I have been this inspired. Thank you, Brother. That said, I do reserve the right to go back to cantankerous old cynic at will.....k? 🙈

Expand full comment