Oak Summit Nursery
Sapa Cherry Plum (Prunus besseyi x Prunus salicina 'Sapa')
Sapa Cherry Plum (Prunus besseyi x Prunus salicina 'Sapa')
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Cold hardy hybrid plum released by South Dakota State University in the early 1900s. Grows as a large bush or shrub reaching up to 10 feet. The plums are dark red to purple with soft yellow flesh and a sweet tart flavour.
Sapa was one of the earliest Chum selections by Hansen in South Dakota, its recorded cross is Prunus besseyi (sand cherry) × ‘Sultan’, a Japanese plum of Burbank’s (Prunus salicina)
(In last photo with plum comparisons from left to right: American Wild Plum, Canada Wild Plum, Sapa Cherry Plum, Pembina Plum)
| 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.
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