Heirloom Fruit Watercolors

Plums · USDA pomological watercolour

Best Hybrid Plum

Historical USDA watercolour of the Best Hybrid Plum plum, painted 1872

Best Hybrid Plum is a historic fruit cultivar documented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture between 1886 and 1942. A watercolour study of it survives in the collection, with specimens recorded from Virginia, Arlington, painted by Shull, James Marion. The paintings served as official botanical identification records before colour photography.

CultivarBest Hybrid
SpeciesPrunus domestica
Common fruitPlum
Painted1872
Artist(s)Shull, James Marion
Specimen originVirginia, Arlington
CollectionUSDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Plates1

Public domain via the U.S. National Agricultural Library. Plate id: POM00004752.

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