Cultivar 146: Pipestone

Pipestone is a cold climate plum introduced from the Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm in 1942 under the earlier designation Minn. 218. Prairie sources describe it as a large, high quality red plum, not just a trial selection. [S3] [S6] It was also listed for trial among Minnesota hybrid plums in South Dakota Zone II and appeared in nursery trade listings there. This shows that it moved beyond station records into regional recommendation and commerce. [S1] [S2]

Its history is not fully settled. A University of Minnesota bulletin gives its parentage as Burbank x (Burbank x Wolf) and says the University of Minnesota introduced it in 1942. [S3] A prairie orchard source also ties it to the Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm, says it was formerly known as Minn. 218, and gives the cross as Prunus salicina x Prunus americana. [S6] A later prairie index instead lists Pipestone as P. nigra x P. salicina from the University of Saskatchewan with the year 1960. [S5] Sources disagree on both parentage and whether the key introduction belongs with Minnesota in 1942 or with a Saskatchewan record in 1960. [S3] [S5] [S6]

The fruit is described as very large, up to about 1 3/8 inches in both length and width. It is cordate to round conic in form, with deep red skin, a fairly heavy gray or blue bloom, and bright yellow flesh. [S3] [S6] Sources describe the skin as thin but tough, and the flesh as juicy, tender, melting to medium firm. The flavor is sweet and pleasant, and quality is rated very good to excellent. [S3] [S6] It blooms in early May and ripens from late August into early September. [S3] [S6]

Tree descriptions are broadly consistent. Pipestone is described as upright to spreading, moderately vigorous to vigorous, large, hardy, and productive, with fair fruit adherence. [S3] [S6] The South Dakota recommendation table places it only for trial in Zone II rather than among the broadest statewide standards. But the Morden note calls it hardy and productive there, which gives it clear prairie relevance. [S1] [S6]

In the archive, Pipestone matters as part of the northern plum breeding stream that linked Minnesota evaluation work, prairie orchard testing, and later regional nursery distribution. [S2] [S3] [S6] Later University of Minnesota thesis data show that its seed and seedlings were still being studied for germination, seedling growth, herbivory, and survival. This preserves it as living breeding material as well as a named fruit. [S4]

Summary source basis

• S1: South Dakota Fruit Garden
• S2: Nursery Plants Available from South Dakota Nurseries
• S3: 9c684c14 7509 4b78 a803 0bf01a64aa28
• S4: {Replace with the Title of Your Dissertation}
• S5: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S6: TreeFruitsGrownInPrairieOrchards WRLeslie 1946 HQ

This summary currently draws chiefly from 9c684c14 7509 4b78 a803 0bf01a64aa28, with 6 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Origin: University of Minnesota, introduced in 1942.”
— ^[7]

“Fruit form cordate with broadly pointed apex depressed at tip; cavity moderately wide and deep; suture definite, a line.”
— ^[7]

“Skin moderately thin, tough, slightly astringent.”
— ^[7]

“Blooms early May and ripens late August.”
— ^[7]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Parentage: Burbank x (Burbank x Wolf).
• P. nigra x P. salicina.
• Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm, 1942, formerly known as Minn. 218, Prunus salicina X Prunus americana.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• At the end of Experiment III, % survival among plum seedlings started in the greenhouse ranged from 33% for seedlings from Pipestone to 89% for seedlings from Mount Royal (Table 10).Minnesota #1695, p50
• For seed stored for 25 months, averages ranged from 4.2% for 'Monitor', 'Mount Royal' and 'Pipestone' to 95.8% for 'Hennepin' (Table 5).Minnesota #1695, p47
• PLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE II Counties in Minne-sota that have North Slopes & Valleys of General Prairie | PipestoneSouth Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11), p1
• PLUMS, Minn. Hybrids | For Trial | ZONE II Counties in Minne-sota that have North Slopes & Valleys of General Prairie | PipestoneSouth Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11), p1

Taxonomy context: Genus: Prunus | open genus tree

Related cultivars mentioned in source context