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Bluebyrd Plum on Marianna GF 8-1 (Spring 2021)

A tasty blue-skinned European plum with black knot resistance. Also known as B69158, Blue Byrd.
Black knot is one of the most common ailments to afflict plum trees, and reports from Dr. Ralph Scorza at the USDA-ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station suggest that Bluebyrd may be resistant to this disease. The tree has an erect growth habit, is vigorous, hardy (well adapted to the mid-Atlantic region), and productive. Fruit thinning is recommended for years when fruit set is especially heavy. This tree is not self-fertile and will require a pollinizer. It has an early bloom and compatable varieties include Bluefre, Green Gage, President, Stanley, and Reine Claude de Bavay.
Bluebyrd produces fruit that is bright blue with a waxy finish and yellow fleshed. These plums are slightly ovate and about two inches long. The flesh is firm, clings slightly to the stone, and has an excellent sugar-acid balance. This is a very sweet plum that makes a great treat for fresh eating and is suitable for canning and drying.
Bluebyrd is named after US Senator Robert C. Byrd, who dedicated the West Virginia research facility that produced this plum.
The Fruit
Fruit Type
Category: Plum
Subcategory:
European
Fruit Uses & Storage
Uses: fresh eating, jam, baking, storage, canning, freezing, jelly, sauce
Storage duration: one to three months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)
Fruit Appearance
Skin color: blue
Flesh color: yellow
Fruit Origins
Parentage: NY H4 open pollinated
Origin: Kearneysville, West Virginia
Introduced in: 1999
Introduced by: ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station
The Environment
Calendar & Geography
USDA zones: 5 - 8
Chill hours: 700
Ripening date: Aug 22 (approximate, in New York State) - 10 days after Stanley
Tree Height & Spacing
glossary
Rootstock: Marianna GF 8-1 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Standard (100% Size)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 35'
Good for wildlife planting? N
Diseases & Pests
glossary
Black Knot: Very Resistant
Pollination
Pollination Factors
glossary
Bloom group:
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class:
Standard (100% Size)
Pollination Partners
This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Bluebyrd Plum on Marianna GF 8-1. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.
See all pollination matches for Bluebyrd Plum on Marianna GF 8-1
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