Cultivar 156: Hanska

Hanska is a hardy hybrid plum from the South Dakota Experiment Station. It was introduced in 1908 from a native plum seedling crossed with Prunus simonii, the Chinese apricot plum. Sources place it among Hansen's fragrant plum introductions, bred to combine native plum hardiness with the firm, scented flesh and unusual quality of the Chinese parent. Its name is the Sioux word for "tall," chosen for its unusual nursery growth. [S1] [S3] [S4] [S6]

The early history is unusually clear. Hansen wrote that Hanska was the only named selection from about twenty seedlings of this cross and that it first fruited in 1906 and 1907 on two and three year old nursery trees. Three year old trees were said to reach about twelve feet, and even two year old trees were considered too heavy to ship well. Later summaries kept the same origin story and grouped Hanska with Inkpa, Kaga, and Toka as closely related introductions from the same breeding line. [S3] [S4] [S5] [S6]

Sources describe the fruit as about 1 1/2 inches across, sometimes up to about 1 9/16 inches, and later prairie orchard notes extend that to roughly 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches. It is flat or oblate, bright red to dark carmine, and heavily covered with blue bloom. The flesh is yellow to greenish yellow, firm, juicy, sweet, and strongly perfumed, with a very small pit. Several sources say the fruit resembles the Chinese parent in form, color, fragrance, and firmness more than a native plum. One notes that its flat shape sets it apart from other hardy plums grown in the Northwest. [S3] [S4] [S6] [S7]

Hanska was admired for its appearance as well as its use. South Dakota reports say it drew attention at the State Fair for three straight years because of its color, and they note good quality and rich fragrance. When cooked, the apricot character was said to come out fully, unlike ordinary native plums. Later prairie notes describe it as very good for jam and canning, with fruit ripening in mid to late September. [S4] [S6] [S7]

The tree is described as spreading, fast growing, early bearing, and productive. The broader fragrant plum group was valued because it kept the hardy character of Prunus americana and worked well on native plum seedlings for budding or grafting. South Dakota extension later listed Hanska among Hansen plums recommended for all zones in the state, and the cultivar was still being described for prairie orchards at Morden, Manitoba, decades later. That is strong evidence of northern adaptation, even where no formal hardiness zone is stated. [S1] [S2] [S4] [S7]

Hanska matters in the archive as one of the key early native plum x Prunus simonii hybrids. It stands with Inkpa, Kaga, and Toka as proof of what Hansen thought possible in this line: hardy northern plum trees with fragrance, firmness, and a more exotic fruit character than local native types. Later sources also use Hanska as a reference point for related seedlings and half related material, which shows how central it became in this branch of prairie plum breeding. [S1] [S4] [S5] [S6]

Summary source basis

• S1: New Hardy Fruits for the Northwest
• S2: South Dakota Fruit Garden
• S3: New Hybrid Fruits
• S4: Some New Fruits
• S5: Progress in Plant Breeding
• S6: Plant Introductions
• S7: TreeFruitsGrownInPrairieOrchards WRLeslie 1946 HQ

This summary currently draws chiefly from Some New Fruits, with 5 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Hanska was the only named selection among about twenty seedlings from this cross, and all five fruiting varieties were said to be very similar in fruit.”
— ^[7]

“Hanska is presented as one of the new hybrid fruits originated in the Department of Horticulture.”
— ^[7]

“Reference points to Bulletin 224, page 22.”
— ^[5]

“Hanska is among the fragrant plum introductions valued for excellent flavor of the firm fragrant flesh.”
— ^[5]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Hanska is from crossing native plum (Prunus americana) with pollen of a very large, firm-fleshed apricot plum of China.
• Hanska is one of the seedlings resulting from crossing native plum (Prunus americana) with pollen of Prunus simonii, a large firm-fleshed apricot plum of China.
• Hanska is referenced as one of the cultivars sharing the same pedigree group as Toka, Inkpa, and Kaga.
• Pedigree: Wild plum X Prunus Simoni pollen.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Of my other new plums, a few trees, one year old on native plum roots, can be spared of Opata, Sapa, Hanska, Kaw and Kiowa, at same price as Waneta.Northern novelties for 1921 : some new fruits, ornamentals, etc., p3
• Of my other new plums, a few trees, one year old on native plum roots, can be spared of Opata, Sapa, Hanska, Kaw and Kiowa, at same price as Waneta.Northern novelties for 1921 : some new fruits, ornamentals, etc., p3
• Hanska (Sioux Indian word for "tall"). Offered last year for the first time.Spring 1909 : some new fruits, p4
• Hanska (Sioux Indian word for "tall"). Offered last year for the first time.Spring 1909 : some new fruits, p4

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context