Island Beach Plum Seeds

Around 30 years ago, I began exchanging beach plum seeds from individuals who knew of individual plants or colonies with different fruit colors. One person in the southern part of beach plum land in its native haunts along the Atlantic coast found several unique selections with different colors and flavors. His primary hunting spot was some coastal islands in the southern portion of the beach plum range. Prior to the internet, the letters contained some very interesting types in rather remote locations found on small islands. Eventually after several exchanges I grew many of these at my farm and eventually planted a small group of them on a sandy ridge on my farm and waited.

This particular seed strain produced some amazing plants with a couple of characteristics not found from the New Jersey strains or others that I was growing at the time. They produced some nice yellow ones with heavy yields. One plant ripened very late into October and November. Others showed very good resistance to soot and mildew on the fruit. This is an issue in high humidity summers which can completely ruin the quality of the fruit unless you spray. Another unique growing habit which I had never seen before was the 'on the top of the soil' stolons which would skip along the soil and eventually root in. They were like above ground roots with large stems up to 1-2 inches in diameter.  Today this planting has shown a couple of worthy selections for clonal reproduction like 'Flava Island' and a wonderful seed source worth growing in what would be considered non beach plum environments. This is the possibility of the beach plum expanding its range off the beach into other arid and maritime climates around the world. It requires so little yet gives so much. 

"Ultramarine"  A dark blue fruited beach plum highly resistant to mildew and black mold or soot even under high humidity. This selection is a good yielder producing in dense clusters.  The fruit is easy to pick by hand and ripens all at once. Although not large fruited it makes up for in yield and  flavor. This selection is not too tart and has a nice balance of sweet and tart. Plants will stolon some once established on its own roots. This provides a possibility of growing it from root cuttings too. Selected due primarily for its clean fruit and solid consistent yields. Late flowering missing all frosts here like most beach plums. Ultramarine is a second generation from this Island seed strain. Currently unavailable as scions. (The planting was pruned in fall of 2023 to improve fruit yield and vigor.)

How to germinate the seeds: Seeds are easy to grow. Start by giving them cold dormancy for 90-120 days from 32-38F. Store seeds in a lightly moist Canadian peat moss mixture and keep refrigerated. After removing from refrigeration after the allotted time, seeds will sprout slowly over a month period at room temperature.