Cultivar 153: Kahinta

Kahinta is a hardy hybrid plum from the South Dakota program. It was introduced in spring 1912 as a cross of Apple plum, a Japanese plum from Luther Burbank, and Terry, a native American plum from H. A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa.[S3] [S4] Later summaries group it with Waneta and Tawena as three sister varieties from the same breeding line. They describe that line as Japanese plum crossed with native plum, Prunus americana.[S1] [S4] [S5] The name Kahinta was glossed as the Sioux word for "sweep."[S3] [S4]

Sources describe the fruit as dark red, round to slightly oval, about 1 1/2 inches across, very heavy for its size, and freestone, with thin skin, yellow flesh, and a sweet flavor without astringency.[S3] [S4] Hansen wrote that several seedlings from this cross had fruit of excellent quality, even nearing the peach in excellence. Later reports said Kahinta was larger than the first measurements suggested.[S3] [S4] A prairie orchard summary later judged it less productive in southern Manitoba than Waneta, but better in quality.[S5]

Kahinta is historically important as part of the early effort to move beyond selected native plums toward larger hybrid fruit for northern gardens and orchards.[S1] It was recommended in South Dakota for all fruit growing zones in the Hansen plums, large hybrids group. That points to broad cold climate use, though no formal hardiness zone number was given.[S2] By 1920, fair reports said Waneta and its sister Kahinta were by far the largest plums shown at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.[S4]

In the wider plum lineage, Kahinta belongs to the early Japanese plum x native plum branch that helped define Hansen's northern hybrid plums.[S1] [S4] Its closest named companions in the sources are Waneta and Tawena, treated as sister seedlings from the same cross.[S1] [S4] Prairie sources remembered it less for heavy bearing than for size, quality, and its place in the breeding step that made larger hardy plums seem possible on the northern plains.[S1] [S5]

Summary source basis

• S1: New Hardy Fruits for the Northwest
• S2: South Dakota Fruit Garden
• S3: Progress in Plant Breeding
• S4: Plant Introductions
• S5: TreeFruitsGrownInPrairieOrchards WRLeslie 1946 HQ

This summary currently draws chiefly from Progress in Plant Breeding, with 4 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“The male parent Terry is described as a native plum originated by the late H. A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa.”
— ^[5]

“The author reports several seedlings of this pedigree, all with fruit of excellent quality, approximating that of the peach in excellence.”
— ^[5]

“Kahinta is one of three sister varieties described with Waneta and Tawena.”
— ^[3]

“Kahinta is the Sioux Indian name for "sweep."”
— ^[5]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• South Dakota Experiment Station selection from 1912, Apple plum x Terry.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Inoticed that Waneta and the sister variety Kahinta, were by far the largest plums on exhibition.Northern novelties for 1921 : some new fruits, ornamentals, etc., p3
• Inoticed that Waneta and the sister variety Kahinta, were by far the largest plums on exhibition.Northern novelties for 1921 : some new fruits, ornamentals, etc., p3
• HANSEN PLUMS FOR ALL ZONES | Large Hybrids | other | KahintaSouth Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11), p1
• HANSEN PLUMS FOR ALL ZONES | Large Hybrids | other | KahintaSouth Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11), p1

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context