“P” is for Pomaria Nursery. Established in Newberry District in 1840 by William Summer, Pomaria Nursery was one of the most influential and prestigious nurseries of the antebellum South. An advocate of scientific agriculture and a distinguished journalist, Summer was a major contributor to the southern agricultural press. Primarily interested in testing and developing fruit varieties suitable for southern orchards, he introduced four varieties of apples, the Pomaria Gage plum, the Pomaria Seedling Strawberry, and Poinsett and Mrs. Poinsett peaches. From 1852 to 1857 emphasis was placed on expanding Pomaria’s inventory of ornamentals. It offered 1,091 varieties of trees, plants, and shrubs in 1858 and increased their number to 1,906 in 1862. Summer also opened a branch in Columbia. Although its facilities were severely damaged during the Civil War, Pomaria Nursery managed to survive and issued its last catalog in 1878.
“P” is for Pomaria Nursery
