Climax Plum

Climax was introduced in 1899 by Luther Burbank, developed from his extensive hybridizing work crossing two distinct plum species: Prunus simonii (sometimes called the apricot plum or Simon plum) and Prunus salicina, the Japanese plum. Burbank produced a number of named cultivars from that particular species cross, and Climax was genuinely one of the most commercially significant, historically important specifically to California's early fruit shipping industry, which depended on varieties that could survive transport to distant markets. It is also sold under the name Royal of Van Deman. The fruit is heart-shaped with deep reddish-purple skin, amber flesh, and a rich, sweet flavor, and it is a notably early-ripening variety, often one of the first plums available each season.