Cultivar 290: Redcoat

Redcoat is a University of Minnesota plum from the cross Burbank x Wolf. It is described as a sister of Red Wing and remembered as an early hardy red plum for northern orchards.[S1] [S3]

Nursery and breeding sources agree that it came from Minnesota. Sources place its introduction in 1925, or note it at the Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm in 1942 under the earlier name Minn. 17.[S1] [S3] [S5]

Prairie and Minnesota descriptions describe Redcoat as a medium sized, productive tree with good vigor. One source calls it medium sized. Another says it is spreading, vigorous, healthy, hardy, and productive.[S1] [S3] A Daniels nursery catalog later promoted it as one of the more popular early plums and one of the newer university introductions for northern growers.[S5]

The fruit is described as medium sized and prune shaped to oval or nearly round, with a pointed or rounded apex depending on the source.[S1] [S3] [S5] The skin is bright crimson to dark red, usually with a heavy purple bloom. The flesh is yellow to orange, firm or meaty, tender, and sweet to mildly subacid.[S1] [S3] Quality is rated good to very good, and prairie notes call it excellent for jam.[S1] [S3] Sources disagree on the stone. Some describe it as freestone, while another Minnesota description calls it cling.[S1] [S3] [S5]

Redcoat ripens from mid to late August, making it one of the earlier plum cultivars used in the prairie region and upper Midwest.[S1] [S3] [S5] It is noted for very good fruit adherence, which helps explain its value as a productive orchard plum.[S1]

The record on growth and adaptation is favorable but not perfect. Prairie notes describe the tree as hardy, while the Minnesota breeding bulletin says it showed slight winter injury in test winters and was susceptible to leaf spot.[S1] [S3] This places Redcoat firmly in the cold climate plum tradition, but not among the easiest trees in every setting.[S1] [S3]

Redcoat matters in the archive as part of the Minnesota line of hardy plums developed for northern fruit districts. Its parentage links two established plum cultivars, and its relation to Red Wing shows that it belongs to a broader family of selected hardy red plums rather than standing alone as an isolated introduction.[S1] [S3]

Summary source basis

• S1: 9c684c14 7509 4b78 a803 0bf01a64aa28
• S2: Minnesota #1695
• S3: TreeFruitsGrownInPrairieOrchards WRLeslie 1946 HQ
• S4: hortfacts_1976_3.pdf
• S5: Daniels planting guide, 1950

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

Featured source descriptions

“Origin: University of Minnesota, introduced in 1925.”
— ^[4]

“Tree has good vigor, very good fruit adherence, blooms early May, and ripens mid-August.”
— ^[4]

“Fruit is oval with a pointed apex; cavity shallow; suture a line to moderately deep.”
— ^[4]

“Flesh is light yellow, firm, tender, and slightly dry.”
— ^[4]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Parentage: Burbank x Wolf.
• Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm, 1942, formerly known as Minn. 17, Burbank X Wolf, a sister of Red Wing.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Table 9. Varieties of Plums Suggested for Home or Commercial Planting Showing Interaction of PollinizersPollination Studies with Stone Fruits, p6
• REDCOAT—Early. Another of the most recent University introductions.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p23
• REDCOAT—Early. Another of the most recent University introductions.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p23
• Table 9. Varieties of Plums Suggested for Home or Commercial Planting Showing Interaction of PollinizersPollination Studies with Stone Fruits, p6

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context