Sunday, 23 February 2014 21:32

LEC-Introductions

Written by  Ron Ludekens

 

Feb. 23, 2014

Over a year ago I wanted to publish a web page of all the new varieties the L.E. Cooke Co has introduced to the nursery industry.  I thought that would be a eye opener to those just getting to know us.  I quickly browsed through the catalog making a list and realized that list was getting really long and (in my unbiased opinionSmile) it was impressive.

But I wanted more than just a list, I wanted the history behind each one.  And a lot of that history was in the head of my father (Robert Ludekens) and in his files since he had a hand in bringing the majority of these new introductions to the industry.

So I asked dad to slow down just a bit and write a brief history of each variety.  So, since November, 2013, Dad (83 years young) and Mom (two years younger) have been spending their evenings after long days here at work collecting and writing a history of each new product.  As I write this, they are still compiling facts and writing histories but they have a lot done.  What is completed is being posted now and as more are completed, I will add them.

 

Introduction comments by Bob Ludekens: History-of-L.E.-Cooke-Introductions.html

 

L.E. Cooke Introductions

Varieties that L.E. Cooke Co named and introduced (marked with "LEC") and those that L.E. Cooke played a major role in introducing to the trade.  Click on Variety Name for link to history of that introduction (a work in progress).

APPLES    
  LEC ANDERS™ APPLE
    ANNA APPLE
    BURGUNDY APPLE
  LEC JULY GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLE
  LEC EARLY SUMMER RED APPLE
    EIN SHEMER APPLE
    GORDON™ APPLE
    MOLLIE'S DELICIOUS APPLE
    PETTINGILL APPLE
    PINK PEARL APPLE
  LEC RED (CRIMSON) DELICIOUS SPUR APPLE
  LEC YELLOW (YELO) DELICIOUS SPUR APPLE
    GRANNY SMITH SPUR APPLE
APRICOTS    
  LEC AUTUMN ROYAL APRICOT
  LEC GOLDEN AMBER APRICOT
    MONIQUI APRICOT
    MONTROSE APRICOT
    ROYALTY APRICOT
  LEC TROPIC GOLD™ APRICOT
UME APRICOTS    
  LEC KOUME (Pink Semi-Double) APRICOT
  LEC Shiro-Kaga (Single White)
  LEC DOUBLE PINK FRUITING JAPANESE APRICOT
  LEC SINGLE PINK FRUITING APRICOT
CHERRIES    
  LEC BADA BING™ CHERRY
  LEC COMPACT STELLA CHERRY
  LEC EARLY RUBY CHERRY
    KANSAS SWEET CHERRY
    UTAH GIANT CHERRY
FIGS    
    BLACK JACK FIG
  LEC CONADRIA FIG
  LEC GHOST HILL™ WHITE TEXAS EVERBEARING FIG
  LEC ITALIAN EVERBEARING FIG
  LEC OSBORNE PROLIFIC FIG
NECTARINES    
  LEC ARCTIC FANTASY® NECTARINE
PEACHES   HISTORY OF MILD CLIMATE PEACH INTRODUCTIONS
    BONITA PEACH
    CHAMPAGNE PEACH
    EARLIGRANDE PEACH
    EARLY AMBER PEACH
  LEC FEICHENG TAO PEACH
    LA FELICIANA PEACH
    FLORDAPRINCE PEACH
    FROST® PEACH
    GALAXY PEACH
  LEC GLEASON ELBERTA PEACH (Lemon Elberta)
  LEC JOHN FANICK™ PEACH
  LEC LONG BEACH PEACH
  LEC PEACHY KEEN PEACH
    RIO GRANDE PEACH
    RUBIDOUX PEACH
  LEC SANTA BARBARA PEACH
  LEC TROPI-BERTA® PEACH
    VENTURA PEACH
PEARS    
  LEC FAN-CRIS™ PEAR
    FAN-STIL™ PEAR
    FLORDAHOME PEAR
    HOOD PEAR
  LEC LATE KOREAN (Okusankichi) PEAR
    MONTERREY PEAR
PERSIMMONS    
  LEC FUYU (IMOTO) PERSIMMON
PLUMS    
  LEC AUTUMN ROSA PLUM
  LEC CASSELMAN PLUM
  LEC GOLDEN NECTAR™ PLUM
  LEC IMPROVED LATE SANTA ROSA PLUM
    INCA PLUM
POMEGRANATES    
  LEC AUSTIN POMEGRANATE
    SWEET POMEGRANATE
    UTAH SWEET POMEGRANATE
    WHITE POMEGRANATE
QUINCE    
  LEC COOKE'S JUMBO QUINCE
NATURAL DWARF NECTARINES    
  LEC GOLDEN PROLIFIC NECTARINE
  LEC RED SUNSET NECTARINE
  LEC SILVER PROLIFIC NECTARINE
  LEC SOUTHERN BELLE NECTARINE
NATURAL DWARF PEACHES    
  LEC EMPRESS PEACH
  LEC GOLDEN GLORY PEACH
  LEC SOUTHERN FLAME PEACH
  LEC SOUTHERN ROSE PEACH
  LEC SOUTHERN SWEET PEACH
  LEC SUNBURST PEACH
WALNUTS    
  LEC CARPATHIAN (Mesa) WALNUT
  LEC COOKE'S GIANT SWEET WALNUT
  LEC IDAHO WALNUT
GRAPES    
  LEC BLUEBERRY™ GRAPE
    EASTERN CONCORD SEEDLESS GRAPE
  LEC MIDGELY'S PURPLE SEEDLESS GRAPE
RASPBERRY    
  LEC BABABERRY®
FLOWERING APRICOTS    
    DAWN FLOWERING APRICOT
    MATSUBARA RED FLOWERING APRICOT
    PEGGY CLARKE FLOWERING APRICOT
    ROSEMARY CLARKE
FLOWERING PEACHES
   
    WEEPING DOUBLE RED FLOWERING PEACH
FLOWERING PLUMS
   
  LEC KRAUTER VESUVIUS FLOWERING PLUM
  LEC PURPLE PONY® FLOWERING PLUM
SHRUBS
   
  LEC MARDI GRAS FLOWERING POMEGRANATE
FLOWERING QUINCE (Chaenomeles)    
    BLOOD RED FLOWERING QUINCE
  LEC CLARKE'S WHITE FLOWERING QUINCE
  LEC FALCONET CHARLOT FLOWERING QUINCE
  LEC RED CHARLOT FLOWERING QUINCE
  LEC TORVESA FLOWERING QUINCE
ALTHEA (Rose of Sharon)    
  LEC Danica Althea - Danica Rose of Sharon
LILACS (Syringa)
   
    ANGEL WHITE (Descanso) LILAC
    BLUE BOY (Descanso) LILAC
    BLUE SKIES® LILAC
  LEC BURGUNDY QUEEN® LILAC
    CALIFORNIA ROSE (Descanso) LILAC
    CHIFFON (Descanso) LILAC
  LEC CRYTSAL WHITE® LILAC
    DARK NIGHT (Descanso) LILAC
    EXCEL LILAC
    F.K. SMITH (Descanso) LILAC
    LAVENDER LADY (Descanso) LILAC
    PRESIDENT POINCAIRE LILAC
    SYLVAN BEAUTY (Descanso) LILAC
WISTERIAS    
  LEC CAROLINE WISTERIA
  LEC COOKE'S PURPLE™ WISTERIA
    LONGISSIMA KYUSHAKU WISTERIA
  LEC PURPLE VENUSTA WISTERIA
    ROYAL PURPLE WISTERIA
    SHIRO KAPITAN WISTERIA
  LEC TEXAS WHITE WISTERIA
  LEC WHITE VENUSTA WISTERIA
ALBIZIA    
    FAN SILK (FLAME®) ALBIZIA
ASH (Fraxinus)    
    BERRINDA ASH
    BONITA™ ASH
    FAN-TEX™ ASH
    FAN-WEST™ ASH
    MORAINE® ASH
    RAYWOOD ASH
    SUNBELT ASH
CATALPA    
    PURPLE CATALPA
HONEYLOCUSTS (Gleditsia)    
    GOLDEN HONEYLOCUST
LOCUSTS (Robinia)    
  LEC FRISIA GOLD LOCUST
  LEC PURPLE ROBE LOCUST
MAPLES (Acer)    
    AUTUMN FANTASY® MAPLE
    WIER MAPLE
MULBERRIES (Morus)    
  LEC CHAPARRAL WEEPING MULBERRY
  LEC COOKE'S PAKISTAN FRUITING MULBERRY
    FAN-SAN™ MULBERRY
    TEAS WEEPING FRUITING MULBERRY
  LEC WHITE FRUITING MULBERRY
POPLARS (Populus)    
  LEC MOJAVE HYBRID POPLAR
  LEC SARCOXIE SILVER LEAF POPLAR
    SIOUXLAND POPLAR/COTTONWOOD
    THEVES POPLAR
REDBUDS (Cercis)    
    EASTERN WHITE REDBUD
    FLAME REDBUD
    OKLAHOMA REDBUD
  LEC TEXAS WHITE REDBUD
  LEC WHITE WESTERN REDBUD
RUSSIAN OLIVE (Elaeagnus)    
  LEC VELVET TOUCH™ RUSSIAN OLIVE
SMOKE TREES (Cotinus)    
  LEC COOKE'S PURPLE™ SMOKE TREE
  LEC COOKE'S GREEN WITH PINK (coming)
SYCAMORES (Platanus)    
  LEC IVORY TOWER® SYCAMORE
  LEC LEC SELECT™ LONDON PLANE SYCAMORE
  LEC ROBERTS™ CALIFORNIA NATIVE SYCAMORE
    YARWOOD SYCAMORE
WILLOWS (Salix)    
    FAN GIANT™ BLUE WEEPING WILLOW
    NAVAJO GLOBE WILLOW
VITEX-AGNUS CASTUS    
  LEC COOKE'S BLUE™ VITEX-AGNUS CASTUS
  LEC COOKE'S PINK™ VITEX-AGNUS CASTUS
  LEC COOKE'S PURPLE™ VITEX-AGNUS CASTUS
  LEC COOKE'S WHITE™ VITEX-AGNUS CASTUS