Sweet Tart

Pluot Tart

The name ‘Flavor Grenade’ says it all. This pluot, with its succulent yellow flesh and greenish skin (reddish when tree ripened), is the next generation of plum-apricot hybrids. “ ‘Flavor Grenade’ is the one fruit I look forward to all year,” says Leith Gardner, daughter of hybridizer Floyd Zaiger of Zaiger Genetics in Modesto, California. The oblong fruit is just starting to appear in specialty markets, but it’s worth searching for (harvest begins in late August). Gardeners can also grow it themselves in climates suitable for apricots and plums (for a pollinator, plant a Japanese plum that blooms at the same time). Look for a tree at a local nursery this winter or order from Bay Laurel Nursery in Atascadero, CA (800/847-6473).