Nectaplums

A repost of a post on nectaplums from last winter when bare root trees were available. We’ve just harvested about 50 pounds from two trees in their second year of fruit production. It’s a marvelous cross of three favorite summer fruits.

The first NectaPlum™ from Zaiger Genetics: a white-fleshed, nectarine-peach-plum hybrid. Skin is dark maroon at fruit set, and turns pale pink when ripe. Fully ripe fruit is unparalleled in flavor, and both nectarine and plum traits are easily detectable. Very productive tree is also quite ornamental. Tremendous purplish pink bloom in the spring, followed by a flourish of red leaves which mature into lush green in late summer. Very low chilling requirement, but high chill adaptable.

The above description from the Dave Wilson Nursery website accurately describes the Spice Zee NectaPlum. I had admired the gorgeous burgundy leaves on a neighborhood tree. When the fruit was ripe I asked to try one. I was smitten. It was delightfully sweet and complex, tending toward the nectarine parentage.

Last summer, year two, was the first significant crop from our two trees. Here in our USDA Zone 10b location we harvested 34 pounds of NectaPlums during the month of July.

I found so many ways to use the NectaPlums and recipes for nectarines and plums worked well. This crostada was my hands down favorite. Lavender-NectaPlum shrub was an adventuresome use for some of the fruit.

You may still be able to find bare root NectaPlum trees at a local nursery or they may be potted up by now. The trees are just beginning to blossom this week and we’re hopeful for another bountiful crop.