Cultivar 144: Tonka

Taxon ID: 3

Usage Facet: class=edible; edible_score=1.0; ornamental_score=0.0; inferred_from_taxon=no

Relationships: 0 | Linked Entities (visible): 0 | Evidence claims: 13 | History events: 0 | Catalog issue offerings: 0

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Evidence Badge: emerging | claims=13 | sources=3 | contradictions=0

Claim Types: source_reference_abbreviation:2, column_scope_context:1, description_snippet:1, fruit_size:1, recommendation_context:1, selection_origin_reference:1, table_axis_context:1, taxon_context:1 | Open evidence summary JSON | Open citation drawer JSON

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Wiki Draft

Tonka is not one clearly settled fruit in the surviving record. Prairie apple references list Tonka as an older American name grown before 1893, and a South Dakota recommendation list places it among crab apples and hybrids for general cultivation. [S1] [S3] A separate prairie plum source uses the same name for a Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm plum introduced in 1920 from Burbank x Wolf. [S4]

If the plum record is the intended Tonka, it was bred at the Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm. It was described as a large, round plum with light red skin and a waxy bloom. The flesh is yellow, firm, and tender, with a sweet, rich flavor rated good. The fruit ripens in early September. [S4] The same source says the tree is spreading, medium sized, productive, and less reliable than Underwood. [S4]

South Dakota Extension later listed Tonka for trial among Minnesota hybrid plums in Zone I, the milder fruit district along the state's southern border and lower Black Hills valleys. [S2] This supports its use in northern plains fruit culture, but it is not the same as a direct hardiness rating. [S2]

The main unresolved issue is identity. Sources do not agree on whether Tonka here is an old apple or crabapple name, a Minnesota hybrid plum, or two different fruits that shared the same name. [S1] [S3] [S4] Until that is resolved, Tonka should be treated as a historically ambiguous cultivar name rather than a single unified entry. [S1] [S3] [S4]

Summary source basis

This summary currently draws chiefly from Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, with 4 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Grown in the USA prior to 1893.”
[1]
“Flesh yellow, firm, tender, sweet rich; quality good; season early September.”
[6]
“Ref F&M.”
[1]
“Tree spreading, medium size, productive but less reliable than Underwood.”
[6]

Parentage

Direct parent cultivars

Parentage claim text

Lineage Links

Derived or downstream cultivar links

Story Highlights

Source-story quotations

Family Navigation

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context

No sibling cultivars surfaced from source quotes yet.

Cold Hardiness

Zone assertions are structured rows. Hardiness claim text appears in evidence claims and page-linked citations.

Zone MinZone MaxZone TextAssertion TypeOutcomeLocationConfidence
ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hillsrecommendation_tablerecommendedPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids0.84

Media Gallery

No linked media assets.

Citation Drawer (Top Supporting Sources)

DocumentTitle/URLRightsClaimsRelationshipsHistory EventsPagesSnippets
3Edible Apples in Prairie Canadaunknown700p69References cited: PSM (Shown at the 1901 Provincial Show, Morden MB.).; Hardiness rated borderline hardy (H3).; Listed as a crabapple (crabapple or applecrab, fruit less than 5 cm diameter).; H3 indicates borderline hard
2South Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11)public_domain400p1ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills; PLUMS, Minn. Hybrids; For Trial; {"column_label": "ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills", "cultivar_na
112Pollination Studies with Stone Fruitsunknown200p3Tonka ranked with the native species in viability, but proved to be a very poor pollinizer.; Listed in Table 2 as P. salicina x P. americana.

Citation Evidence (Page-Linked Quotes)

DocumentPageClaim TypeClaimQuoteMatch
112p3recommendation_contextTonka ranked with the native species in viability, but proved to be a very poor pollinizer.Tonka — P. salicina x P. americanapage_block:0.90
112p3entry_pedigreeListed in Table 2 as P. salicina x P. americana.Tonka — P. salicina x P. americanapage_block:0.90
3p69source_reference_abbreviationReferences cited: PSM (Shown at the 1901 Provincial Show, Morden MB.).Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69entry_hardiness_observationHardiness rated borderline hardy (H3).Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69description_snippetListed as a crabapple (crabapple or applecrab, fruit less than 5 cm diameter).Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69entry_hardiness_observationH3 indicates borderline hardiness.Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69source_reference_abbreviationReferenced as PSM.Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69fruit_sizeListed as CR, meaning crabapple or applecrab with fruit less than 5 cm diameter.Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
3p69selection_origin_referenceGrown in the USA prior to 1893.Tonka (Grown in the USA prior to 1893) CR Ref PSM. H3.page_block:0.90
2p1column_scope_contextZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black HillsPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills | Tonkavisual_page_probe:0.90
2p1taxon_contextPLUMS, Minn. HybridsPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills | Tonkavisual_page_probe:0.90
2p1table_axis_contextFor TrialPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills | Tonkavisual_page_probe:0.90
2p1structured_entry_json{"column_label": "ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills", "cultivar_name": "Tonka", "notes": [], "page_number": 1, "parser_mode": "visual_tabPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills | Tonkavisual_page_probe:0.90

Nursery Offering Timeline

YearNurseryCatalog IssueRelation
No catalog issue offerings linked.

Linked Entities

RelationTypeIDLabel
No linked entities at this filter level.

Evidence Claims

TypeClaimConfidence
recommendation_contextTonka ranked with the native species in viability, but proved to be a very poor pollinizer.0.98
entry_pedigreeListed in Table 2 as P. salicina x P. americana.0.99
source_reference_abbreviationReferences cited: PSM (Shown at the 1901 Provincial Show, Morden MB.).0.93
entry_hardiness_observationHardiness rated borderline hardy (H3).0.96
description_snippetListed as a crabapple (crabapple or applecrab, fruit less than 5 cm diameter).0.96
entry_hardiness_observationH3 indicates borderline hardiness.0.93
source_reference_abbreviationReferenced as PSM.0.90
fruit_sizeListed as CR, meaning crabapple or applecrab with fruit less than 5 cm diameter.0.99
selection_origin_referenceGrown in the USA prior to 1893.0.97
column_scope_contextZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills0.92
taxon_contextPLUMS, Minn. Hybrids0.92
table_axis_contextFor Trial0.92
structured_entry_json{"column_label": "ZONE I Southern Border, Lincoln Co., West & lower Valleys around Black Hills", "cultivar_name": "Tonka", "notes": [], "page_number": 1, "parser_mode": "visual_table_page", "row_context": null, "row_labe0.94

History Events

IDTypeYearLabel
No history events.