Taxon ID:
Usage Facet: class=edible; edible_score=1.0; ornamental_score=0.0; inferred_from_taxon=no
Relationships: 0 | Linked Entities (visible): 0 | Evidence claims: 29 | History events: 0 | Catalog issue offerings: 0
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Evidence Badge: emerging | claims=29 | sources=3 | contradictions=0
Claim Types: recommendation_context:6, fruit_size:3, description_snippet:2, flavor_profile:2, fruit_color:2, productivity:2, anecdote_snippet:1, breeder_reference:1, caption_context:1, growth_habit:1, release_year_reference:1, taxon_context:1 | Open evidence summary JSON | Open citation drawer JSON
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Champion is an Americana plum for the northern Plains. H. A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa, selected it from seed of Hawkeye and introduced it in 1892. South Dakota sources describe it as a hardy, productive late plum. It was valued less for dessert quality than for extending the season after earlier plums were gone. C. L. Watrous noted that it came when plums were becoming scarce, which helps explain why it was recommended despite its limits under prairie conditions. [S3]
South Dakota reports show Champion in regional fruit culture by the 1890s. An 1897 bulletin lists it among plum varieties that had fruited locally, and among those reported fruiting there for the first time the previous season. Later South Dakota nursery and trial references show that it stayed in circulation. Nurseries listed it in 1979, and an earlier recommendation list named it as a variety for trial. [S4] [S1] [S2]
At the South Dakota Experiment Station, the fruit was described as very large, dark red, and of fair quality. Its main distinction was its season, not fine eating quality. Sources recommend it mainly for its lateness, and that same lateness was also its weakness in colder districts. [S3]
The station described the tree as large, with a round top and an open habit. Reports also call it a sure bearer, hardy, and very productive. Against that, the main stem was said to sunscald badly, a serious defect in prairie orchards where trunk injury was a recurring problem. [S3] [S4]
Hardiness evidence is mixed, with the main limit being season rather than tenderness. South Dakota observers described Champion as hardy and productive, but repeatedly said it ripened too late for their section. In practice, this places it among plums that could grow in prairie conditions yet still fail to mature well in shorter seasons. [S3] [S4]
Champion belongs to the Americana plum group, and Hawkeye is named as its seed parent. The surviving sources here do not name a pollen parent or later descendants. A 1904 South Dakota plate of native plums also included Champion, showing that it was important enough to be pictured among notable hardy plum material of the region. [S3]
Summary source basis
This summary currently draws chiefly from Plums in South Dakota, with 4 additional supporting sources linked below.
Featured source descriptions
“Available from nursery listing 7.”
— [4]
“The tree sunscalds badly on the main stem.”
— [1]
“The fruit was described as of fair quality.”
— [1]
“The variety is recommended mainly for its late season.”
— [1]
Direct parent cultivars
Parentage claim text
Derived or downstream cultivar links
Source-story quotations
Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.
Related cultivars mentioned in source context
Zone assertions are structured rows. Hardiness claim text appears in evidence claims and page-linked citations.
| Zone Min | Zone Max | Zone Text | Assertion Type | Outcome | Location | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No explicit zone assertion rows yet. | ||||||
No linked media assets.
| Document | Title/URL | Rights | Claims | Relationships | History Events | Pages | Snippets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Plums in South Dakota | unknown | 15 | 0 | 0 | p12 | A. Norby described it as hardy and very productive but too late in ripening for this section in 1904.; A. Norby said it was too late for this section in 1902.; A. Norby called it a sure bearer.; The season was considered |
| 139 | Planting time, 1950 / Alpha Nursery | unknown | 12 | 0 | 0 | p6 p7 | Adheres slightly to the stone and is listed for August 15th.; Described as a good shipper.; Described as hardy and productive.; Described as delicious, sweet, and juicy. |
| 14 | A Study of Northwestern Apples | unknown | 2 | 0 | 0 | p19 | Trial category for gooseberries.; Champion is listed specifically as a trial entry. |
| Document | Page | Claim Type | Claim | Quote | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 139 | p7 | description_snippet | Adheres slightly to the stone and is listed for August 15th. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | recommendation_context | Described as a good shipper. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | entry_hardiness_observation | Described as hardy and productive. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | flavor_profile | Described as delicious, sweet, and juicy. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | fruit_color | Skin described as creamy white with red cheek; flesh white. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | fruit_size | Fruit described as large. | CHAMPION—Fruit large, delicious, sweet, juicy; skin creamy white, with red cheek; handsome, hardy and productive, and a good shipper; adhering slightly to the stone. White flesh. August 15th. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | caption_context | Gooseberry illustration captioned Champion Gooseberry. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | recommendation_context | Catalog says it is the best for general planting. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | description_snippet | Described as free from mildew. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | productivity | Bush described as very productive. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | entry_hardiness_observation | Bush described as very hardy. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p6 | fruit_size | Fruit described as medium size and round. | CHAMPION—Fruit medium size, round. Bush very hardy and very productive; free from mildew. | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p19 | entry_location | Trial category for gooseberries. | GOOSE BERRIES. For trial: Champion, Pearl. | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p19 | recommendation_context | Champion is listed specifically as a trial entry. | GOOSE BERRIES. For trial: Champion, Pearl. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | entry_hardiness_observation | A. Norby described it as hardy and very productive but too late in ripening for this section in 1904. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | recommendation_context | A. Norby said it was too late for this section in 1902. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | productivity | A. Norby called it a sure bearer. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | recommendation_context | The season was considered too late under South Dakota conditions. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | entry_hardiness_observation | The tree sunscalds badly on the main stem. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | flavor_profile | The fruit was described as of fair quality. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | fruit_color | At the station the fruit was dark red. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | fruit_size | At the station it bore very large fruit. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | growth_habit | At the South Dakota Experiment Station the tree is large, with round top and open habit. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | anecdote_snippet | C. L. Watrous of Des Moines, Iowa wrote that Champion comes at a time when plums are getting scarce. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | recommendation_context | The variety is recommended mainly for its late season. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | release_year_reference | The variety was introduced in 1892. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | entry_pedigree | Champion was grown from seed of Hawkeye. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | breeder_reference | Champion originated with H. A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| 17 | p12 | taxon_context | The entry places Champion in the Americana group. | Champion, Americana. HISTORY.-Originated by H. A. Terry, Crescent, Iowa, from seed of Hawkeye and introduced in 1892. | page_block:0.90 |
| Year | Nursery | Catalog Issue | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| No catalog issue offerings linked. | |||
| Relation | Type | ID | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| No linked entities at this filter level. | |||
| Type | Claim | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| description_snippet | Adheres slightly to the stone and is listed for August 15th. | 0.93 |
| recommendation_context | Described as a good shipper. | 0.94 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | Described as hardy and productive. | 0.94 |
| flavor_profile | Described as delicious, sweet, and juicy. | 0.95 |
| fruit_color | Skin described as creamy white with red cheek; flesh white. | 0.95 |
| fruit_size | Fruit described as large. | 0.95 |
| caption_context | Gooseberry illustration captioned Champion Gooseberry. | 0.96 |
| recommendation_context | Catalog says it is the best for general planting. | 0.91 |
| description_snippet | Described as free from mildew. | 0.93 |
| productivity | Bush described as very productive. | 0.94 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | Bush described as very hardy. | 0.94 |
| fruit_size | Fruit described as medium size and round. | 0.93 |
| entry_location | Trial category for gooseberries. | 0.95 |
| recommendation_context | Champion is listed specifically as a trial entry. | 0.95 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | A. Norby described it as hardy and very productive but too late in ripening for this section in 1904. | 0.94 |
| recommendation_context | A. Norby said it was too late for this section in 1902. | 0.93 |
| productivity | A. Norby called it a sure bearer. | 0.92 |
| recommendation_context | The season was considered too late under South Dakota conditions. | 0.96 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | The tree sunscalds badly on the main stem. | 0.97 |
| flavor_profile | The fruit was described as of fair quality. | 0.93 |
| fruit_color | At the station the fruit was dark red. | 0.95 |
| fruit_size | At the station it bore very large fruit. | 0.96 |
| growth_habit | At the South Dakota Experiment Station the tree is large, with round top and open habit. | 0.96 |
| anecdote_snippet | C. L. Watrous of Des Moines, Iowa wrote that Champion comes at a time when plums are getting scarce. | 0.93 |
| recommendation_context | The variety is recommended mainly for its late season. | 0.96 |
| release_year_reference | The variety was introduced in 1892. | 0.98 |
| entry_pedigree | Champion was grown from seed of Hawkeye. | 0.97 |
| breeder_reference | Champion originated with H. A. Terry of Crescent, Iowa. | 0.98 |
| taxon_context | The entry places Champion in the Americana group. | 0.98 |
| ID | Type | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| No history events. | |||