Origin: near Barrhead, Alberta (54°N), by J.A. Wallace, Agriculture Canada, Beaverlodge, Alberta; wild plant discovered in Pembina River valley ca. 1928; tested as Barrhead No. 1 and as B.E.F. 3501; reselected 1950; introd. in 1952. Fruit up to 14 mm diam., obovate to nearly spherical, blue-black with bloom; typically 9-13 per cluster, fairly even ripening; excellent, full, tangy flavor, fairly sweet; pH 4.1. Shrub to 5 m high; initially upright to upright-spreading, 5 m spread at maturity; moderate to sparse suckering near crown, crown expands more slowly than Smoky; crown long-lived, 70+ years. Hardy to zone l. Possible susceptibility to woolly elm aphid. Nearly as productive as Smoky. The full-flavor standard against which other cultivars are judged. Currently being evaluated in a comprehensive cultivar trial. Tree: Fruit:
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