Narrative
Pajaro is considered a premium strawberry variety, with symmetrical shape and good color and flavor, but it can be difficult and expensive to grow. Although planted in August in the Salinas area, production doesn't begin until the following April. Pajaro production peaks in May and drops off sharply within a few weeks. Selva and Seascape are planted later (in November) and usually bear fruit earlier than Pajaro. The popularity of Pajaro declined to just 6 percent of California acreage in 1993. 'Pajaro' Strawberry was released in 1979 by Royce Bringhurst and Victor Voth of the University of California (1). There was a need at the time of its release for an improved summer-cropping cultivar for the Central Coast (Watsonville) production region of California, and 'Pajaro' quickly filled this need. It went from occupying 5% of the California strawberry acreage in 1981 to 19% in 1986 (2), and was a commercially important cultivar in California for over a decade (3).
' 'Pajaro' Strawberry was released in
1979 by Royce Bringhurst and Victor Voth
of the University of California (1). There
was a need at the time of its release for an
improved summer-cropping cultivar for
the Central Coast (Watsonville) produc
tion region of California, and 'Pajaro'
quickly filled this need. It went from oc
cupying 5% of the California strawberry
acreage in 1981 to 19% in 1986 (2), and
was a commercially important cultivar in
California for over a decade (3).
Named for the Pajaro valley,' Pajaro', a
short-day cultivar, was selected at the Uni
versity of California's South Coast Field
Station, Santa Ana in 1973 from a group of
CA63.7-101 x 'Sequoia' seedlings (1). It
was trialed in other strawberry growing
areas of the state, after being selected at
South Coast, and ultimately found its place
as the standard summer planted (6) culti
var in the Central Coast production area
(350 miles [563 km] to the north of where
it first caught the eye of Victor Voth). It
was designated C45 before being given the
Pajaro name and was patented using this
designation (U.S. plant patent no. 4,538).
'Pajaro' will best be remembered for its
ability to produce firm, symmetrical fruit
of uniform size. The fruit of this cultivar
generally has a medium to long conic
shape, although the primary fruit are fre
quently wedge shaped, in varying degrees.
The calyx is large and tends to be reflexed.
The skin is glossy and attractive, except
when rain causes a checking on the fruit
surface. The flavor of 'Pajaro' fruit, by all
accounts, is considered very good. The
plant of 'Pajaro' is typically medium sized
and has an upright habit. These traits, com
bined with the moderately long pedicels on
which the fruit is attached, cause the fruit
to be well displayed and easy to harvest.
'Pajaro' was an important commer
cial cultivar in west central Florida
during the 1980's (4), and has also
been a major cultivar in southern
Italy, New Zealand, and Australia (7).
'Pajaro' Strawberry was released in
1979 by Royce Bringhurst and Victor Voth
of the University of California (1). There
was a need at the time of its release for an
improved summer-cropping cultivar for
the Central Coast (Watsonville) produc
tion region of California, and 'Pajaro'
quickly filled this need. It went from oc
cupying 5% of the California strawberry
acreage in 1981 to 19% in 1986 (2), and
was a commercially important cultivar in
California for over a decade (3).
Named for the Pajaro valley,' Pajaro', a
short-day cultivar, was selected at the Uni
versity of California's South Coast Field
Station, Santa Ana in 1973 from a group of
CA63.7-101 x 'Sequoia' seedlings (1). It
was trialed in other strawberry growing
areas of the state, after being selected at
South Coast, and ultimately found its place
as the standard summer planted (6) culti
var in the Central Coast production area
(350 miles [563 km] to the north of where
it first caught the eye of Victor Voth). It
was designated C45 before being given the
Pajaro name and was patented using this
designation (U.S. plant patent no. 4,538).
'Pajaro' will best be remembered for its
ability to produce firm, symmetrical fruit
of uniform size. The fruit of this cultivar
generally has a medium to long conic
shape, although the primary fruit are fre
quently wedge shaped, in varying degrees.
The calyx is large and tends to be reflexed.
The skin is glossy and attractive, except
when rain causes a checking on the fruit
surface. The flavor of 'Pajaro' fruit, by all
accounts, is considered very good. The
plant of 'Pajaro' is typically medium sized
and has an upright habit. These traits, com
bined with the moderately long pedicels on
which the fruit is attached, cause the fruit
to be well displayed and easy to harvest.
'Pajaro' was an important commer
cial cultivar in west central Florida
during the 1980's (4), and has also
been a major cultivar in southern
Italy, New Zealand, and Australia (7).
'Pajaro' Strawberry was released in
1979 by Royce Bringhurst and Victor Voth
of the University of California (1). There
was a need at the time of its release for an
improved summer-cropping cultivar for
the Central Coast (Watsonville) produc
tion region of California, and 'Pajaro'
quickly filled this need. It went from oc
cupying 5% of the California strawberry
acreage in 1981 to 19% in 1986 (2), and
was a commercially important cultivar in
California for over a decade (3).
Named for the Pajaro valley,' Pajaro', a
short-day cultivar, was selected at the Uni
versity of California's South Coast Field
Station, Santa Ana in 1973 from a group of
CA63.7-101 x 'Sequoia' seedlings (1). It
was trialed in other strawberry growing
areas of the state, after being selected at
South Coast, and ultimately found its place
as the standard summer planted (6) culti
var in the Central Coast production area
(350 miles [563 km] to the north of where
it first caught the eye of Victor Voth). It
was designated C45 before being given the
Pajaro name and was patented using this
designation (U.S. plant patent no. 4,538).
'Pajaro' will best be remembered for its
ability to produce firm, symmetrical fruit
of uniform size. The fruit of this cultivar
generally has a medium to long conic
shape, although the primary fruit are fre
quently wedge shaped, in varying degrees.
The calyx is large and tends to be reflexed.
The skin is glossy and attractive, except
when rain causes a checking on the fruit
surface. The flavor of 'Pajaro' fruit, by all
accounts, is considered very good. The
plant of 'Pajaro' is typically medium sized
and has an upright habit. These traits, com
bined with the moderately long pedicels on
which the fruit is attached, cause the fruit
to be well displayed and easy to harvest.
'Pajaro' was an important commer
cial cultivar in west central Florida
during the 1980's (4), and has also
been a major cultivar in southern
Italy, New Zealand, and Australia (7).
'Pajaro' Strawberry was released in
1979 by Royce Bringhurst and Victor Voth
of the University of California (1). There
was a need at the time of its release for an
improved summer-cropping cultivar for
the Central Coast (Watsonville) produc
tion region of California, and 'Pajaro'
quickly filled this need. It went from oc
cupying 5% of the California strawberry
acreage in 1981 to 19% in 1986 (2), and
was a commercially important cultivar in
California for over a decade (3).
Named for the Pajaro valley,' Pajaro', a
short-day cultivar, was selected at the Uni
versity of California's South Coast Field
Station, Santa Ana in 1973 from a group of
CA63.7-101 x 'Sequoia' seedlings (1). It
was trialed in other strawberry growing
areas of the state, after being selected at
South Coast, and ultimately found its place
as the standard summer planted (6) culti
var in the Central Coast production area
(350 miles [563 km] to the north of where
it first caught the eye of Victor Voth). It
was designated C45 before being given the
Pajaro name and was patented using this
designation (U.S. plant patent no. 4,538).
'Pajaro' will best be remembered for its
ability to produce firm, symmetrical fruit
of uniform size. The fruit of this cultivar
generally has a medium to long conic
shape, although the primary fruit are fre
quently wedge shaped, in varying degrees.
The calyx is large and tends to be reflexed.
The skin is glossy and attractive, except
when rain causes a checking on the fruit
surface. The flavor of 'Pajaro' fruit, by all
accounts, is considered very good. The
plant of 'Pajaro' is typically medium sized
and has an upright habit. These traits, com
bined with the moderately long pedicels on
which the fruit is attached, cause the fruit
to be well displayed and easy to harvest.
'Pajaro' was an important commer
cial cultivar in west central Florida
during the 1980's (4), and has also
been a major cultivar in southern
Italy, New Zealand, and Australia (7).
A limiting factor for the use of Ta
jaro' in humid, subtropical production
areas is its extreme susceptibility to
anthracnose fruit rot (caused by Colletotrichum
acutatum). Interestingly,
Pajaro' is a parent of 'Sweet Charlie'
(5), a cultivar that is field immune to
this disease. Craig Chandler J. Amer. Pom. Soc 55(3):130