Oak Summit Nursery
Kappa Cherry Plum (Prunus besseyi x Prunus salicina 'Kappa')
Kappa Cherry Plum (Prunus besseyi x Prunus salicina 'Kappa')
Fall 2026 plant sale
Fall plant ordering opens in September. Shipping begins in October 2026.
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Kappa cherry plum is a Canadian introduction, it's compact cherry plum with dark bluish black skin and yellow green flesh. Early bearing and heavy crops. Sweet fruity flavour with mild tart skin, good fresh and for jam or canning. Ripens late August on the Prairies. Needs a compatible chum or Japanese plum for pollination. Released by Cecil Patterson at the University of Saskatchewan in 1960.
Hardiness: Zone 2–3.
Here's a comparison of the cherry plum cultivars we're growing.
| Name | Year Introduced | Breeding Parentage | Breeder / Institution | Flesh Color | Skin Color | Size | Flavor / Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compass | 1896 | Sand cherry (Prunus besseyi) × “Minor” (Miner) plum (Prunus hortulana group) | H. Knudson, Springfield, Minnesota | Yellowish | Dark purple-red | ~2.5 cm (small) | Excellent for jelly; good for canning |
| Sapa | 1908 | Sand cherry (P. besseyi) × ‘Sultan’ (Japanese plum, P. salicina) | South Dakota Experiment Station, Brookings, SD | Dark purple | Purple with bluish bloom | ~2.5 cm (small) | Excellent for canning and jam |
| Opata | 1908 | Sand cherry (P. besseyi) × ‘Gold’ (Japanese plum, P. salicina) | South Dakota Experiment Station, Brookings, SD | Yellowish-green | Greenish, overlaid reddish-purple | 2.5–3 cm (small) | Good for preserves |
| Kappa | 1960 | Sand cherry (P. besseyi) × Japanese plum (P. salicina) | University of Saskatchewan (Cecil Patterson) | Yellow-green | Dark, bluish-black at maturity | Small (≈ cherry-plum size) | Sweet, fruity “cherry-plum” flavor |
| Sapalta | 1941 | ‘Sapa’ × open-pollinated (pollen parent unknown) | Canadian selection (Brooks, Alberta) | Dark purple | Reddish-purple | Small to medium | Sweet-tart; excellent for canning/jam |
| Dura | 1942 | ‘Sapa’ seedling | Morden Experimental Station, Manitoba | Red | Dull green blotched with purple | ~3.5 cm (medium-small) | Excellent for canning |
| Manor | 1945 | ‘Sapa’ seedling | Morden Experimental Station, Manitoba | Dark red | Dark purple-red | 2.5–3 cm (small) | Excellent for canning |
Plant Details
Our cherry plums are own rooted plants.
Fall 2026 plant sale
Plants are sold seasonally after nursery stock is counted. Fall ordering opens in September and shipping begins in October 2026. Add a reminder and we will email when this listing opens.
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