I realize that this is almost impossible to do without seeing both the interior and the flesh of the fruit involved. Nevertheless, the plum in question is approx. 2" in diameter, with a dark red skin (mahogany?), and a vivid beet-red flesh. The beet-red flesh makes me wonder if it could be a "Black Splendor." In Seattle, the harvest it's almost completely done.
Does anyone have any other ideas?
This question comes from an interested fruit-grower who wants to purchase this same plum variety so that she can grow them in her own backyard. The owner of the plum tree inherited it, and has no idea of the variety. Obviously, grafting is a possibility. If so, which month would be the recommened one for grafting?
David
There are several blood flesh plums, such as Elephant Heart, Redheart, Purple Heart (notice a trend here?) and more. I have tried all three and others, and I prefer Redheart, which is very firm and can be canned or frozen without turning to mush. It also has a flavor that strongly reminds me of cherries. It happens that my old tree is on it's last legs and I gave wood to a nurseryman friend to bud last year, and he will have trees of it to sell this winter. If you are interested, contact me offlist. Otherwise, you can still have your tree propagated by chip budding this fall if you hurry.
Lon Rombough, lonrom@bunchgrapes.com
David, that is a tricky question... I've got two, 2 year old Plum trees that fit your description. The trees also have deep red / purple leaves, the same color as their skin. The fruit is a semi-freestone with a matching red interior. The trees produce a multitude of suckers and are totally ungrafted - as these "suckers" grow identical fruit as the parent tree!
A passed friend called them a "Nickel's Plum" - http://cecolusa.ucdavis.edu/Programs/Po ... P%2099.htm
- and I believe they originally came (and may still come) from the "Nickel's Nursery." They too have just finished their fruit production. But as you say, this is hardly a way to compare fruit~
As far as grafting; budding would be preferable; if you can find rootstock? I've "stuck on" a few of these plums around as pollinators using the dormant "whip & tongue" graft with general success. If you can't get the budding accomplished, collect some scion wood as described "around this site," and bring it to the Spring Scion Exchange; buy an appropriate rootstock, and let us (me) take a whack at it. If the graft doesn't take, you'll have "rootstock" for budding next summer 
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"Nickel's Plum" might be "Nichols' " That is, Nichols' Garden Nursery in Albany, OR had a red leaf plum on back of the property that was one of the better ones I've seen. Definitely one of the sweetest and most regularly productive. I believe it was propagated a few times, and some of the visitors might have planted seeds from it as well.
-Lon Rombough
Lon, I think you're right. But I couldn't find any of my old "Nichols'" catalogs to compare the spelling, or the tree... Here's their site: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/ Unfortunately, there's no online catalog ~
I was a bit confused to find the site above this describing the "rootstock"... but it described it so well I figured maybe "that" was my tree in question? As I noted, the two trees I have are at least two "generations" removed from their parent, but appear to be identical to the original tree.
If I "only" have a seedling, or rootstock; I'd sure love to see fruit from the parent tree - though my Uncle tells me it's identical 
[quote="Viron":fovtq5jy]Lon, I think you're right. But I couldn't find any of my old "Nichols'" catalogs to compare the spelling, or the tree... Here's their site: http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/ Unfortunately, there's no online catalog ~
I was a bit confused to find the site above this describing the "rootstock"... but it described it so well I figured maybe "that" was my tree in question? As I noted, the two trees I have are at least two "generations" removed from their parent, but appear to be identical to the original tree.
If I "only" have a seedling, or rootstock; I'd sure love to see fruit from the parent tree - though my Uncle tells me it's identical [/quote:fovtq5jy]
Nichols' never sold the plum, it was just a tree on the nursery grounds. Only a few fruit fanciers might have collect pits, and even fewer might have gotten graft wood (I got some). Also, because the tree was fairly well isolated from other plums that could cross with it, the seedlings would resemble the parent, though I'm sure you'd see plenty of differences if you put the parent and seedlings side by side.
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