This is a subject I know nothing about so really I had no business bringing home a five gallon container with a wee one inside. Beach Plum you ask? The farmer said it is a hardy variety, that it will tolerate some shade (though produce less fruit), has a very distinct flavor, and makes a very good jelly.
These plants, prunus maritima, grow everywhere along the North Eastern Seaboard and there is a project through Cornell and the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension that is trying them out for horticultural production. The fruits ripen in September and can be eaten right off the bush or used to make jellies and syrup. After reading up on this I have learned to 'treat it' like a plum and prune it like a peach. Huh. The one pictured at left is being pruned into tree form, they are quite bushy and rambling when growing in the dunes. I figured for $6.50 its worth a shot at homegrown beach plums for snacking though their performance when grown for horticultural use thus far has been less than stellar. (I will post a picture of our latest addition to the edible landscaping soon.)
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