Origin: near Forestburg, Alberta (52°30'N); wild plant discovered by A. Nixon on his farm. Transplanted to Agriculture Canada Research Station, Beaverlodge (BRS), Alberta, in 1948; tested as B.E.F. 0003. Selected by J.A. Wallace, BRS, introd. in 1963. Fruit up to 16 mm diam., nearly spherical, blue-black with bloom; typically 7-11 per cluster, clusters very tight, fairly even ripening, later than Smoky; flavor mild, quite sweet, juicy; pH 4.2. Shrub to 4 m high; initially upright to arching-spreading, 5 m spread at maturity; moderate to light suckering near crown, crown expands slowly; crown long-lived, 40+ years. Hardy to zone 2. Heavy producer of large fruits. More drought-tolerant than the cultivars of Alberta origin. Currently being evaluated in a comprehensive cultivar trial. Tree: Fruit:
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