Cultivar 163: Wyant

Wyant is a native plum in the Prunus americana group and was long regarded as one of the leading improved prairie plums. Sources place its origin at Janesville in northeastern Iowa about thirty five years before the South Dakota bulletin account, and say Prof. J. L. Budd of the Iowa Agricultural College widely introduced it. South Dakota station and grower reports describe it as a large, productive, hardy plum that became widely and favorably known across the northern plains. [S5] [S7]

South Dakota sources consistently place Wyant among the main native plum varieties for regional planting. It was recommended for propagation on northern native plum roots, listed among the best bearing station orchard sorts at Brookings, and later recommended for general cultivation by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. Extension guidance also lists it among native plums kept for cross pollination. [S7] [S3] [S5] [S1]

At Brookings, the fruit was described as large and of the best quality, with a very large crop. Later South Dakota evaluation says it kept fair size even under heavy bearing, though A. Norby noted that old trees bearing very heavily could run smaller, while younger trees with moderate crops produced large to very large fruit. Norby judged it only fair for eating out of hand because the skin could be acerb or bitter. That same bitterness was said to reduce its value for cooking and canning, even though the fruit itself was well regarded. [S7] [S5]

Wyant ripened in early to mid September in the South Dakota station plantings. Fruit on sand cherry stock was ripe September 7 in 1903, and Haralson recorded ripening on September 12, 1904. It was also named as suitable for drying and for plum butter, including freestone style preparation methods quoted from period culinary sources. [S5]

South Dakota tree reports are strongly favorable. In the old station orchard planted in 1888, Wyant was a heavy, early, constant bearer, and the trees were described as perfectly hardy. A. Norby likewise called it very productive, large, fine, and perfectly hardy. On sand cherry stock, however, Haralson observed a dwarfed, low, bushy, strong tree, and broader sand cherry stock reports were mixed. Some early accounts praised precocity and heavy bearing, while others warned that such trees could be short lived. One adverse report naming Wyant among the scions was later corrected in the bulletin because those trees were said not to have been on sand cherry roots after all. [S5] [S7] [S4]

Its hardiness story depends on geography. South Dakota evidence supports Wyant as a hardy and dependable native plum under prairie conditions, especially on native plum roots. Farther north, the picture worsens. A 1904 North Dakota letter said Wyant did not ripen there in the previous two seasons, and a 1905 report from St. Charles, Manitoba, said Wyant and Forest Garden froze back nearly all new growth every year. Wyant was therefore hardy and productive in South Dakota, but not reliable at the colder northern edge of prairie plum culture. [S5] [S7]

Wyant also matters as breeding and lineage material. The University of Minnesota appendix lists it simply as P. americana, and Hansen later described Wastesa as a seedling of Wyant, calling Wyant one of the best native plums of northern Iowa. This places it not only as a successful cultivar, but also as part of the native plum line carried forward into later northern breeding and selection work. [S2] [S6]

Summary source basis

• S1: South Dakota Fruit Garden
• S2: 9c684c14 7509 4b78 a803 0bf01a64aa28
• S3: A Study of Northwestern Apples
• S4: The Western Sand Cherry
• S5: Plums in South Dakota
• S6: Plant Introductions
• S7: Fruit Culture

This summary currently draws chiefly from Plums in South Dakota, with 4 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Wyant was one of the main varieties in H. J. Gurney's Elk Point orchard.”
— ^[1]

“Wyant is cited as a native plum in the discussion of one- and two-year-old plums blossoming while heeled in on the packing grounds.”
— ^[7]

“The trees in that adverse note were later said to have been not on Sand Cherry roots at all, but misobserved.”
— ^[7]

“The adverse note stated that some of the trees fruited in 1897 and all of them fruited in 1898.”
— ^[7]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• No direct breeding_cross claim text yet.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• contains mainly such varieties as Hawkeye, Quaker, DeSoto, Wyant, Wolf and Forest GardenPlums in South Dakota, p37
• Wyant 14 Late P. americanaPollination Studies with Stone Fruits, p4
• Wyant 14 Late P. americanaPollination Studies with Stone Fruits, p4
• Wyant, Americana.Plums in South Dakota, p45

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context