Was fortunate to get some Capulin Cherry Selections from Ashok Tambwekar, a fellow CRFG member. Ashok is an officer of the Golden Gate CRFG chapter and is an afficionado of capulin cherries. Capulin cherries are wild prunus species on their own right. Similar in shape and size to sweet cherries but have the wild resinous flavor similar to semi-ripe tropical guavas which I enjoy. Not many Americans love the taste. Capulin cherries tend to be evergreen even in Davis, California.
Was amazed how easily the capulin cherry took on the capulin seedlings. These cherries never went dormant, but they were grafted using cleft grafting or whip and tongue. Below are excellent signs of takes and the descriptions provided by Ashok.
Emirich#1
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joereal at 2008-03-07
Emirich#2
By
joereal at 2008-03-07
"Emerich #1" and "Emerich #2" are selections by noted Southern California plantsman and past CRFG president
George Emerich. "Emerich #1" is Ashok's overall favorite of the capulins that he has fruited. It produces the largest cherry, a nicely flavored fruit, but with fairly strong "wild" black cherry flavor notes.
La Roca Grande (front), Emirich #2 (middle) and Late Lomeli (back)
By
joereal at 2008-03-07
"La Roca Grande" is a selection by Ben Poirier. The fruits have a slightly milder taste than "Emerich #1". They are a little smaller than "E. #1" fruits, and ripen to a dull reddish color. ("E. #1" fruits ripen to a deep, blackish-purple color.)
"Late Lomeli" is a seedling from the capulin grove in Conejo Park (established by the local CRFG chapter). This one comes into prime ripeness about a week or two after the other cultivars. It tastes the closest to a European P. avium sweet cherry. The main drawback to this selection is that the cherries are small, nanking cherry-sized.
That is the beginnings of multi-grafted Capulin Cherries.
