HISTORY OF ARCTIC FANTASY® NECTARINE
L. E. Cooke Co. Introduction
Summer of 1991 E. Ray Houston, a retired teacher from Cal Poly (SLO), sent the L. E. Cooke Co budwood from a white seedling nectarine he had found. We budded and planted a few in January 1993 in the Cooke I research area where they still are of this writing in January 2014.
All sales staff, management, and office personnel sampled the fruit and compared it with other white selections in 1996. A list of 45 possible names were submitted by many and then voted as to the best. Arctic Fantasy® was selected and the L. E. Cooke Co trademarked the name.
Ray received some of the original trees budded in 1993. Unfortunately he passed away prior to being able to see it listed for the first time as Arctic Fantasy® in our 2001-02 catalog.
Most of us prefer Arctic Fantasy® over the longtime favorite Goldmine. The fruit is larger, has a stronger flavor, and better skin color. It has a sweet white flesh, sub-acid and a flavor similar to some of the yellow varieties. The red overlays 70% to 80% of the skin making an attractive fruit. The nectarine is freestone, ripens in early August. A very good white selection planted in any 400 to 800 chill hour areas. Arctic Fantasy grows well in San Luis Obispo.
Bob Ludekens January 2014