A picture of the Featherston’s in Alta, California at an historic Pear Orchard with Felix Gillet folks Adam Nuber, Jenifer Bliss and Ritchie Marks.
The Fruit and Nuts in the Field Discoveries Drop Down Menu are the pictures and descriptions of the historic, heirloom fruit, nuts and flowers that we have re-discovered in our searches and explorations of the Gold Country Regions. The descriptions came from our online store which is no longer up – for now.
While it takes hours, days and sometimes longer to identify the various varieties, sometimes we can’t figure it out. So, we give some of them new names that relate to the location where we found them or to their appearance. This is nothing new. In searching through the historical Books such as the Apples of New York, the Pears of New York, the Plums of New York, the Cherries of New York, etc…., we see that many of the best, historic varieties have multiple names or synonyms. Some of the favorite varieties from our historic past have been hybridized for shelf life and appearance but still carry the same names as their predecessors, even though their genetics and flavor may have changed. Names are a slippery slope unless you do DNA testing. We began our discoveries before DNA testing was available, and we have had so many things to test. Also, not all the varieties we find are in the databanks. For a small non-profit with limited funds, DNA testing is a road we have not yet travelled.
FYI: We are in the process of adding all the species and varieties to this list of our Field Discoveries – ones that have been available in the past, plus ones that were previously left out, plus new discoveries – including Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Chestnuts, Grapes, Figs, Filberts, Mulberries, Nectarines, Peaches, Pecans, Plums, Prunes, Persimmons, Quince, Roses, Walnuts and more. If some of our discoveries are missing, they will be here soon.
Most of the Beautiful Fruit and Nut Photos of our collection were taken by Adam Nuber.