Frontiers of Fruit in California: An Overview of New and Rediscovered Fruit Types with Potential for Commercial Cultivation

Many California farmers and breeders are actively searching for new or rediscovered fruit types with promising characteristics such as exceptional flavor, unusual color or texture, novel interspecific parentage, perceived health properties, or value to ethnic communities. This session provides an overview of some of the most interesting species and cultivar groups currently being grown or under trial in California, including greengage and mirabelle plums (Prunus domestica); tejocotes (Crataegus pubescens); sweet-fleshed quinces (Cydonia oblonga); goji (Lycium barbarum); pollination variant, nonastringent persimmons (Diospyros kaki); red-fleshed peaches and nectarines (P. persica); and novel interspecific stone fruit hybrids such as Peacotums (P. persica x P. armeniaca x P. salicina), Nectaplums (P. persica x P. salicina), and Cherums (P. avium x P salicina). The treatment of each fruit type includes a description, and explanation of why it may be of commercial interest; its origin and history of cultivation, particularly in California; germplasm resources, including information on leading cultivars and their availability; environmental, horticultural and postharvest requirements and challenges; and marketing and intellectual property issues. Many of the fruit types are potentially of interest for cultivation in states other than California.