Charles Rudolph Boysen (July 14, 1895 – November 25, 1950) was a California

horticulturist Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

who created the boysenberry, a hybrid between several varieties of

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with ...

, and loganberries.

Boysenberry

Rudolph Boysen had experimented with various berry crosses in

Napa, California Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California. Located in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, the city had a population of 77,480 as of the end of 2021. Napa is a major t ...

, during the 1920s. When Boysen first moved to

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

, he brought berry vines with him which he planted on his in-law’s farm in Anaheim. Boysen worked as Anaheim City Parks superintendent from 1921 to 1950. In 1923, his hybrid grafted successfully and grew to bear fruit. However, unable to make his new berry a commercial success, Boysen abandoned his crop after breaking his back in an accident. In 1927, he took specimens to Coolidge Rare Plant Nursery in Altadena. Years later, a fellow grower named

Walter Knott Walter Marvin Knott (December 11, 1889 – December 3, 1981) was an American farmer who created the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California, introduced the Boysenberry, and made Knott's Berry Farm boysenberry preserves. Early life On D ...

heard about the berry and tracked down Boysen. Knott was able to bring a few dying vines back to life at his farm, now known as

Knott's Berry Farm Knott's Berry Farm is a theme park located in Buena Park, California, owned and operated by Cedar Fair. In 2015, it was the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America and averages approximately 4 million visitors per year. It features 40 ...

Buena Park, California Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 mi ...

. He named the fruit after Boysen.

Biography

In 1930, Charles Rudolph Boysen was married to Margaret Bruton (1892-1970). They were the parents of Robert Matt Boysen (1924-1980).

Legacy

Boysenberry Lane in

Placentia, California Placentia () is a city in northern Orange County, California. The population was 51,233 during the 2020 census, up from 46,488 in the 2000 census. This includes the community of Atwood, which is included in the city of Placentia, and is loca ...

, and Boysen Avenue in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, are both named for Rudolph Boysen. Boysen Park, a public park in Anaheim, was named in his honor. It features playgrounds, baseball diamonds, a large lawn, and a stucco-coated Grumman F9F-6P Cougar as a children's climbing toy. The Anaheim Tennis Center is located adjacent to Boysen Park, located at 951 S. State College Blvd. A garden of desert plants collected by Boysen during several trips to the deserts of southern California, Arizona, and Mexico are showcased at Pearson Park in Anaheim. Rudolph Boysen died at the age of 55, and is interred at the Melrose Abbey Cemetery in Anaheim.How Orange County's places got their tags
(Orange County Register. January 25, 2007)

References

External links

Google link for Boysen ParkCharles Rudolph Boysen, Anaheim Superintendent of Parks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boysen, Rudolph American horticulturists 1895 births 1950 deaths American people of Danish descent People from Anaheim, California