Botanical classification:Prunus salicina.

Varietal denomination: ‘BLACKRED XVI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. We also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of plum tree which has been denominated varietally as ‘BLACKRED XVI’.

During a typical blooming season we isolate as seed parents both individual and groups of different plum and interspecific trees by covering them with screen houses. A hive of bees is placed inside each such house, and bouquets to provide pollen from different plum, apricot, and interspecific hybrid trees are placed in buckets near the trees approximately every two days for the duration of the bloom. During 2014 one such house containing ‘Blackred VI’ interspecific tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,718) was crossed by us in this manner. To pollinate this interspecific tree, we selected bouquets from several sources of plum trees without keeping specific written details. Upon reaching maturity the fruit from this interspecific tree was harvested, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified and germinated as a group with the label “H28”. They were grown as seedlings on their own root in our greenhouse, and upon reaching dormancy transplanted to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the summer of 2018 the claimed variety was selected by us as a single plant from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of plum tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original tree in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.

The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Blackred VI’ interspecific tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,718), by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that is medium in size but is quite distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is darker in both skin color and flesh color, that is sweeter in flavor, the is semi-freestone instead of clingstone in type, that can hang firm on the tree longer, and that matures about 10 days later.

The present variety is most similar to ‘Blackred V’ interspecific tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,576), by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that ripens in early July and that is fairly globose in shape, nearly black in skin color, medium in size, juicy, and excellent in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that can hang firm longer on the tree, that is more heat tolerant, and that is darker red in flesh color, somewhat sweeter with less acidity in taste, and semi-freestone instead of clingstone in type.

SUMMARY OF VARIETY

The present plum variety is characterized by a medium size, vigorous, hardy, and productive tree. Being self-unfruitful, the present variety requires cross pollination from an apricot, interspecific, or plum that blooms during the mid season, such as ‘Blackred V’ interspecific tree (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,576). The present variety produces a medium density of flowers that produce a heavy amount of pollen to entice good bee activity to facilitate pollination. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described during early July, with first picking on Jul. 1, 2021. The fruit is uniformly medium in size, almost black in skin color, very dark red in flesh color, semi-freestone in type, globose to ovate in shape, extremely firm in texture, juicy, very sweet, and excellent in flavor. Also, the fruit is very heat tolerant and can hang firm on the tree for over 3 weeks.

