Sihong

'Sihong', also written Si-Hong and known in China as Sihongdazao, comes from Sihong County in Jiangsu Province and was imported to the United States by Roger Meyer in 1995 through the Nanjing Botanical Garden. It is one of the best all-rounders in the American collection: NMSU classes it as a multipurpose cultivar with excellent drying quality, noting that the thick flesh dries down with fine, even wrinkles rather than collapsing. At 34 to 36.8 degrees Brix it is among the sweetest cultivars available, and unlike some high-sugar drying types it is genuinely excellent eaten fresh. UF/IFAS flags it as precocious and highly flavored among cultivars worth trialing in Florida. The tree is vigorous with plenty of branching, though yield is moderate rather than spectacular.