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Long before genetic engineering existed, famed horticulturalist Luther Burbank (1849-1926) was hard at work tinkering with Mother Nature’s creations.
He maintained two massive gardens north of San Francisco, in Sebastopol and Santa Rosa, where he spent his days as an agricultural cupid, selectively cross-pollinating plants. During his lifetime he personally created over 800 new species of flowers, fruits, vegetables and grains.
One of his more successful inventions was the Santa Rosa Plum. Starting with a plum tree from Asia, he developed a new variety, Prunus domesticus, which thrived in Northern California’s cool winters and long, dry summers.
The Santa Rosa Plum is renowned for its delicate, tart, ruby red skin and its firm, yet juicy flesh that swims with sweetness. It is widely considered the plum by which all others are measured. The trees are disease resistant, and produce large yields of fruit, which ship easily and stay fresh longer than other varieties.
As if all that weren’t enough, the delicate pink blossoms of the tree have a stunning aroma that fills the air of Northern California every spring, reminding everyone that fresh, delicious plums are on the way.
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