Community and Resources for Home Gardens
RETAIL NURSERY VARIETY LIST
El Rancho Nursery
5098 Ellsworth Rd.
Vacaville, CA 95688
707.447.3388
Plant varieties ordered from Dave Wilson Nursery for 2021:
Fuji Apple
Introduction from Japan that quickly became California's favorite apple. Sweet, very crisp and flavorful, excellent keeper. Dull reddish orange skin, sometimes russeted. Ripe mid-September. Excellent pollenizer for other apple varieties. Low chilling requirement - less than 500 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 6-9.
Golden Delicious Apple
Long-time favorite for its sweetness and flavor. Reliable producer, adapted to many climates. Pollenizer for Red Delicious. Midseason harvest (September in Central CA). 700 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 5-10.
Granny Smith Apple
From New Zealand. Large, late, green, all-purpose. Crisp, tart, excellent keeper. Requires long summer. Thrives in hot climates. 400 hours. Prolonged bloom: good pollenizer for other apples. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 6-9.
Pink Lady® Apple
Hot climate apple from Western Australia. Very crisp, sweet tart, distinct flavor, good keeper. Skin reddish pink over green when ripe. White flesh resists browning. Harvest begins late October in Central CA, about three weeks after Fuji. Self-fruitful. 300-400 hours. USDA Zones 6-9.
Blenheim (Royal) Apricot
All-purpose freestone. Sweet, aromatic, flavorful - the long-time No. 1 apricot in California. Early bloom. Late June harvest in Central CA. 400 hours or less. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-8.
Gold Kist Apricot
Excellent backyard apricot for warm winter climates. Freestone, very good quality. Heavy bearing. Early harvest, 3-4 weeks before Blenheim (Royal). 300 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9. (Zaiger)
Katy Apricot
Large, all-purpose, flavorful freestone. Tree ripe fruit is subacid (not tart). A favorite apricot for warm-winter climates. Early harvest, 3-4 weeks before Blenheim (Royal). 200 to 300 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9. (Zaiger)
20th Century Asian Pear
Juicy, sweet, mild flavored fruit is crisp like an apple. Early to mid-August in Central CA. Keeps well. Easy to grow, heavy bearing small tree. 300-400 hours. Self-fruitful or pollenized. by Shinseiki, Bartlett, or other.
Shinseiki Asian Pear
Juicy, sweet, refreshing, crisp like an apple. Easy to grow. Keeps well. Harvest late July/early August in Central CA. Bright yellow skin. Vigorous, heavy bearing (usually by 2nd year). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Bing Cherry
Large, firm, juicy, sweet, nearly black when ripe. Superb flavor, the No. 1 cherry. Midseason. Large vigorous tree. Pollenized by Black Tart, Van, Rainier and Lapins. Also Stella in colder climates. 700 hours. USDA Zones 5-9.
Black Tartarian Cherry
Medium-sized, nearly black, sprightly flavor, early season. Vigorous, productive tree. 700 hours. Pollenizer required - interfruitful with all popular sweet cherries. USDA Zones 5-7.
Craig's Crimson Cherry
Taste test winner. Self-fruitful, natural semi-dwarf sweet cherry. Dark red to nearly black, medium to large size, wonderful spicy flavor, very firm texture. Mature tree size about 2/3 of standard (smaller when budded onto Colt or Mahaleb rootstock). Harvest begins early. 500-600 hours. USDA Zones 5-9. (Zaiger)
Lapins Cherry
Self-fruitful, dark red sweet cherry from Canada. Large, firm, good flavor. Similar to Van in color, Bing in shape. Sometimes sold as 'Self-fertile Bing.' Ripens 4 days after Bing. 400 hours or less. USDA Zones 5-9.
Stella Cherry
Self-fruitful - no pollenizer needed. Large, nearly black, richly flavored sweet cherry similar to its parent, Lambert. Late harvest. 400 hours. Pollinates Bing, except in mild winter climates. USDA Zones 5-9.
Black Mission Fig
The industry standard. Purplish-black skin, strawberry-colored flesh, rich flavor. Heavy bearing, long-lived, large tree. Coast or inland. Two crops per year. Fresh/dry/can. 100 hours. Self-fruitful. USDA Zones 7-9.
Celestial Fig
Purplish brown skin, pink flesh. Widely adapted. Two crops per year - early summer and late summer to early fall. Prune to any shape. 100 hours. Self-fruitful.
Flanders Fig
Medium-sized, long-necked fruit with violet stripes and scattered white specks. Amber to white meat with light strawberry pulp. Rich flavor, split resistant, highly productive. Two crops per year. 100 hours. Self-fruitful.
Pakistan Fruiting Mulberry
Morus alba 'Pakistan'
Long (3 inches), firm, red to black, sweet fruit. Non-staining juice. Month-long early summer harvest. Fruit used fresh and for pies, jams and jellies. Large, vigorous, disease-resistant tree.
Arctic Rose White Nectarine
Delicious, super-sweet, white nectarine. Very high scoring in taste tests. Rich flavor and nice crunchy texture when firm ripe, extremely sweet when fully ripe. Harvest mid to late July in Central CA. Highly recommended for home orchards. 600-700 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
Double Delight Nectarine
Sensational fruit: consistently the best flavored yellow nectarine plus magnificent, double pink flowers. Dark red-skinned, freestone fruit is sweet, with unusually rich flavor. Very high scoring in taste tests. Heavy bearing tree. Harvest early to mid-July in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
Jolly Red Giant Nectarine
Very large fruit to 3 1/2 or more if properly thinned. Freestone, delicious flavor. Skin bright orange-red over yellow. Mid-July in Central CA. 400-500 hours. Self-fruitful. (Zaiger)
Snow Queen White Nectarine
Taste test winner. Sweet, juicy, early season white freestone. Late June harvest in Central CA, 2-3 weeks ahead of Babcock peach. Long-time favorite in So. Calif. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Arctic Babe Miniature Interspecific Nectarine
A result of innovative interspecific breeding by Zaiger Genetics, Arctic Babe is the first white-fleshed miniature nectarine. Super-sweet, large size fruit ripens early: late May to early June in central California. Reaching only 4-6 ft., this tree is easy to thin and harvest, easy to cover to protect blooms from frost. Chilling requirement not yet established, expected to be less than 700 hours. Self-fruitful. (Introduced for the 2017-18 season as 243BC331 Miniature Interspecific Nectarine)
Babcock White Peach
Long-time favorite white-fleshed freestone. Sweet and juicy, aromatic, low in acid. High scoring in taste tests. Ripens mid-July in Central CA. Widely adapted (low chill requirement, yet not early blooming). 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Bonanza Miniature Peach, high head
Popular yellow freestone. Large fruit is sweet, low in acid, with a mild, refreshing flavor. Mid to late June in Central CA, earlier in low desert climates. 5-6 ft. tree. Chilling requirement very low, 250 hours or less. Self-fruitful. High head form has 18" trunk.
Donut (Stark Saturn) White Peach
Unique white-fleshed fruit with a sunken center (shaped like a doughnut). Sweet, with a mild flavor described by some as almond-like. Ripens late June/early July in Central CA. Estimated chilling requirement 200-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Elberta Peach
Famous yellow freestone. Classic, rich peach flavor: high scoring in taste tests. Use fresh, canned or cooked. Ripe late July/early August in Central CA, up to 3-4 weeks later in colder climates. 600 hours. Self-fruitful.
Eva's Pride Peach
Delicious, fine flavored peach with very low chilling requirement ripens 2-3 weeks before Mid-Pride. Medium to large-sized yellow freestone - also recommended as early season peach for moderate climates - harvest 3 weeks before July Elberta. 100-200 hours. Self- fruitful. (Zaiger)
Red Baron Peach
Flowering/fruiting. Large, juicy, firm, richly flavored yellow freestone fruit. Highly rated in taste tests. Showy double red blossoms. Mid-July. Long-time favorite in Southern CA and Texas. Low chilling requirement, 250-300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Redskin Elberta Peach
Cross of Redhaven and Elberta. Excellent quality all-purpose yellow freestone. Frost hardy. Ripens August 1st in Central CA. Also called Redskin. 850 hours. Self-fruitful.
Rio Oso Gem Peach
Favorite late yellow freestone. Large, sweet, rich flavor, like J.H. Hale. Fresh/freeze. Small tree. Showy bloom. Mid-August in Central CA. 800 hours. Self-fruitful.
Bartlett Pear
World's most popular pear. Early midseason, high quality, tolerates hot summers. 500-600 hours. Self-fruitful in most climates of Western U.S. Elsewhere, pollenized by Bosc, D'Anjou, Winter Nelis.
Bosc Pear
Long and narrow shape, brown skin. Superb quality, one of the best. Harvest late October. Use fresh or cooked. Susceptible to fire blight in warm, moist climates. 500-600 hours. Pollenized by Bartlett or other pear.
Sensation Red Bartlett Pear
High quality Bartlett-type fruit with attractive red skin. Relatively small tree. 700 hours. Self-fruitful in most climates of Western U.S. Elsewhere, pollenized by Bosc, D'Anjou, or other pear.
Burgundy Plum
Maroon colored skin and semi-freestone flesh. Sweet, with little or no tartness and a very pleasing, mild flavor. High taste test scores. Prolonged harvest, mid-July to mid-August in Central CA. Very productive tree with narrow, upright habit. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Elephant Heart Plum
Home orchard favorite: large, heart-shaped fruit with sweet, juicy, richly flavored, firm red flesh. Dark reddish-purple mottled skin. Long harvest season - September in Central CA. Hardy, heavy bearing tree. 500 hours or less. Pollenize with Beauty or Santa Rosa.
Mariposa Plum
Large, red fleshed, sweet, juicy, firm, delicious. Small pit, nearly freestone. Mottled maroon over green skin. Use fresh or cooked. Harvest August. 250 hours. Pollenized by Catalina, Nubiana, or Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa Plum
Most popular plum in California & Arizona. Juicy, tangy and flavorful. Reddish purple skin, amber flesh tinged red. Late June in Central CA. 300 hours. Self-fruitful.
Satsuma Plum
Long-time favorite plum in California. Mottled maroon over green skin, dark red meaty flesh. Sweet, mild, not tart. Excellent for jam. Harvest late July. 300 hours. Pollenized by Santa Rosa or Beauty.
Dapple Dandy Pluot® Interspecific Plum
Taste test winner. Ranks with Flavor King Pluot® among the all-time top five best flavored fruits at Dave Wilson Nursery tastings. Creamy white and red fleshed freestone with wonderful plum-apricot flavor. Skin greenish-yellow with red spots, turning to a maroon and yellow dapple. August harvest in Central CA. 400-500 hours. Pollenized by Flavor Supreme Pluot®, Flavor King Pluot®, Santa Rosa, Catalina or Burgundy Plum. (Pat. No. 9254) (Zaiger)
Flavor King Pluot® Interspecific Plum
Taste test winner. Unique plum-apricot hybrid with sensational bouquet and sweet, spicy flavor. Reddish-purple skin, crimson flesh. Harvest mid-August in Central CA. Naturally small tree. 400 hours or less. Pollenized by Flavor Supreme Pluot® or Dapple Dandy Pluot® and Santa Rosa or Late Santa Rosa plum. (Zaiger)
Flavor Queen Pluot® Interspecific Plum
Exquisite plum/apricot hybrid with candy-like sweet, wonderfully pleasing flavor. Greenish-yellow skin, amber-orange flesh. Prolonged harvest: mid-July thru August at Hickman, CA. 400-500 hours. Pollenized by Dapple Dandy Pluot® or Flavor Supreme Pluot® or by a Japanese plum such as Burgundy. Not pollenized by Flavor King Pluot®. (Zaiger)
Flavor Supreme Pluot® Interspecific Plum
Taste test winner. Plum/apricot hybrid with sweet, richly flavored, firm red flesh. Greenish-maroon mottled skin. June harvest in Central CA, about two weeks before Santa Rosa. 700-800 hours. Pollenized by Santa Rosa and Late Santa Rosa plums, or Flavorosa, Flavor Queen and Geo Pride Pluot®. (Zaiger)
Black Satin Blackberry
Vigorous, very productive plant. Large berries. Midseason producer, July in most areas. Requires some support due to heavy cropping and limber, semi-trailing plant structure. USDA zones 6-9.
Boysenberry Thornless
Rubus ursinus var. loganobaccus, a hybrid of blackberry, raspberry, dewberry and loganberry. Very large berry up to 2.5", dark maroon in color with an intense, tangy, sweet flavor. Excellent quality with few seeds and a pleasant aroma. Vine-like trailing growth habit. Harvest through summer. Self-fruitful, best in zones 5-10.
Olallieberry
A cross between Youngberry and Loganberry, classified as a blackberry. Large, elongated fruit with unique sweet-tart flavor: a long-time California fruit stand favorite for fresh-eating, pies and jams. Vine-like (trailing) structure, requires support. Lower chilling requirement than Boysen. Takes up to two years to bear. Zones 7-9, possibly 6-10.
Black Monukka Seedless Grape
Large, purplish-black, sweet, crisp. Does not require as much summer heat as Thompson. Use fresh or for raisins. Early midseason. 100 hours. Self-fruitful. Cane or spur prune.
Thompson Seedless Grape
Most popular grape in CA, AZ. Fresh and raisins. Pale green, very sweet. Thin the clusters for larger berries. Needs plenty of heat. 100 hours. Self-fruitful. Cane prune.
Sensation Lilac (French Hybrid)
Single flowers, dark red edged with white. Full flowering and true color reached in 2-3 years. Plants bloom best after cold winters. Full sun (light shade in hottest areas), prefers alkaline soil, average water. 10-15 ft. bush.