Overview
Prune trees were introduced to North America in 1856 by Louis Pellier, a French nurseryman, who brought cuttings from France to the Santa Clara Valley of California (Alston et al.). By 1870, there were 650 acres of prune trees in California. In 1900, California dried prune orchards covered approximately 90,000 acres, and dried prune packing plants had spread throughout the state. Today, California produces nearly 100 percent of U.S. dried plums (that is, dried prunes), and accounts for roughly 70 percent of world production [California Dried Plum Board (CDPB) and Prune Bargaining Association (PBA)]. December 2005 . . . Prunes