Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
While 70 or more varieties have been named, most are being discontinued
as superior selections consistently outperform them. 'Super Spur' and 'Texas
Star' have been the standard industry varieties in Louisiana. 'Red Majesty'
and 'Maxine' are promising new varieties now being tested.
Georgia fruit specialists recommend that growers in central and north
Georgia “plant only the highest-chilling, latest-blooming mayhaw varieties
available, such as 'Saline', 'Crimson', and 'Texas Star', to reduce the chance
of spring frost damage. According to Texas A&Mid-season University, 'Super
Spur' and 'Super Berry' are best grown in east central Texas and south-
eastern Texas. 'Super Spur' has chilling problems during mild winters in the
Beaumont area. 'Big Red', 'Winnie Yellow', 'Highway Red', 'Highway Yellow',
'T.O. Warren Superberry', 'Angelina', 'Harrison', 'Big Mama', and the '#1 Big'
varieties usually bloom later and are better adapted to northeastern Texas.
Table 5.10 lists some popular mayhaw varieties. At this time, few nurs-
eries carry mayhaw, and some varieties can be very difficult to locate. The
names are also commonly confused, due to several variations on the name
“Superberry.” Expect dramatic changes in cultivar recommendations with
improvements in fruit size, fruit quality, and tree performance over the next
couple of decades. Disease resistance is one of the key criteria in selecting
new varieties.
