Cultivar 1397: La Crescent

La Crescent is a University of Minnesota plum hybrid introduced in 1923. The most specific pedigree in the available sources lists it as a P. salicina hybrid x P. americana. This places it among the Japanese-American and native plum hybrids used in northern fruit breeding. University of Minnesota background material describes these hybrids as part of a cold climate program focused on fruit quality, winter hardiness, and viable pollen. [S1] [S2]

The packet does not include a reliable fruit description for La Crescent. No supported source here describes fruit size, skin color, flesh, flavor, ripening season, storage quality, or kitchen use. These fields should stay blank until a pomological description or nursery or breeding record is added.

The origin evidence is consistent. La Crescent was introduced by the University of Minnesota in 1923. A later University of Minnesota thesis cites Brooks and Olmo, 1997 for that introduction date. The same thesis places La Crescent in a longer sequence of Minnesota plum hybrid introductions, followed much later by Alderman in 1985. [S1]

Pollination records give La Crescent a mixed but useful reproductive profile. A 1951 University of Minnesota bulletin lists La Crescent in a table of plum pollen germination on artificial media as a P. salicina hybrid x P. americana. It places the cultivar among varieties with very low pollen germination. The same bulletin lists La Crescent among tested pollinizers and rates it poor. [S2]

Later University of Minnesota work measured pollen stainability rather than field pollinizer value. In that study, La Crescent pollen was stored at -20°C and showed a significant decline in stainability after seven months. Reported monthly stainability values ran from 82% at month 0 to 54% at month 9. They stayed above the thesis threshold of 50% for potential male fertility. This does not overturn the older poor pollinizer rating, because pollen stainability, pollen germination, compatibility, and field pollination success are different measures. [S1] [S2]

La Crescent also appears in seed germination experiments in the 2016 University of Minnesota thesis. In scarified plum seed grown in the greenhouse environment, it was one of the highest performers. It was reported at 91.7% average germination, tied with Whittaker in the cited range. This describes experimental seed behavior, not fruit quality. [S1]

Hardiness is supported by context, not by a direct zone rating in these sources. La Crescent belongs to University of Minnesota winter hardy Prunus material. The available sources discuss it within northern plum breeding and evaluation programs. No source in this packet gives a USDA or Canadian hardiness zone for the cultivar. [S1] [S2]

Summary source basis

• S1: Minnesota #1695
• S2: Pollination Studies with Stone Fruits

This summary currently draws chiefly from Minnesota #1695, with 2 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Table row reports numeric comparison values for this cultivar: non-scarified and scarified entries read 91.7 and 91.7 with paired subsequent values 16.7, 2.1, 2.1 and significance labels a / bcde.”
— ^[1]

“The row is captured as 'La Crescent HRC x - -', with limited year/replication values shown beyond the collection source.”
— ^[1]

“La Crescent is listed as one of the named plum cultivars showing significant viability decline later in storage.”
— ^[1]

“For scarified plum seed in the greenhouse environment, 'La Crescent' was reported at 91.7% average germination.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Minnesota Fruit Breeding Farm selection, 1923, from Shiro x Howard Yellow.
• Listed in Table 2 as P. salicina hybrid x P. americana.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Average % stainability for plums ‘La Crescent’, ‘Monitor’, and ‘Toka’ decreased significantly after seven months in storage whereas ‘Superior’ had a significant decrease in as few as three months in storage.Minnesota #1695, p101
• Average % stainability for 'La Crescent', 'Monitor', and 'Toka' decreased significantly after seven or more months in storage whereas 'Superior' had significant decreases after just three months in storage (Table 2).Minnesota #1695, p108
• Average % stainability for plums ‘La Crescent’, ‘Monitor’, and ‘Toka’ decreased significantly after seven months in storage whereas ‘Superior’ had a significant decrease in as few as three months in storage.Minnesota #1695, p101
• The University of Minnesota introduced a number of plum hybrids throughout the 1900s. For example, La Crescent was introduced in 1923 and Alderman was released in 1985.Minnesota #1695, p14

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context