Origin: in Pennsylvania mountains (ca. 41 °N). Selection made before 1868 from seedlings of wild plants. Acquired 1873 by H.E. Van Deman, Kansas, and introduced by him in 1878. Van Deman sold more than 10,000 plants by 1888. Species uncertain; recent genetic fingerprinting studies suggest a hybrid of A. stolonifera with A. alnifolia. Fruit up to 14 mm diam., obovate to nearly spherical, blue-black with bloom; typically 7-11 per cluster, cluster loose, ripens slowly, fruit held firmly; flavor good but mild, somewhat apple-like, quite sweet; pH 4.0; seeds large. Shrub to 2 m high; initially upright to upright-spreading, 2 m spread at maturity; moderate suckering near crown. Hardy to zone 3, marginal in 2. Susceptible to powdery mildew. In one study it made the best fruit leather of 9 cultivars. By far the oldest surviving cultivar. Currently being evaluated in a comprehensive cultivar trial. Tree: Fruit:
Home