Which plum tree is best

Native to southeast Europe and western Asia, cherry plum trees include the wild types that come in either small trees or even shrubs, getting up to roughly 40 feet in height.

They are one of the first European trees to flower in the spring. There are many types of cherry plum trees and they are commonly used in landscaping as ornamental trees because of the beautiful colors of the plums. The fruit grows to roughly half an inch and is incredibly sweet, which is why it is a popular choice for making pies.

Japanese bush cherry trees are also very versatile as their leaves are often used to make a dye that is greenish-gray in color. One of the many plum tree types found in Europe, the Damson plum is fairly small and has a slightly astringent taste, which is why it is often used to make jams, jellies, and fruit preserves.

Damsons are high in sugar and have a sweet flavor as well as a slightly oval shape. The fruit of the Damson plum tree is harvested from late summer to fall , depending on the specific type, and it takes awhile for the tree to start producing fruit after you purchase it. The Chinese plum tree is native to China, is deciduous, and produces small fruit. The flesh is yellow-pink in color. Chinese plums are often used as flavorings for foods such as liqueurs and candied fruits and they are a source of antioxidants when eaten fresh.

Native to western Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, these fruits are used to make sloe gin in Britain and the wood is used to make walking sticks and shillelaghs in Ireland. The leaves are nearly two inches long and the fruit is small and black or bluish-purple in color.

The sloe plums ripen in August and are usually harvested after the first frost occurs. They are not the same thing as the cherry plums. Native to the Appalachian region of the United States, Allegheny plums grow on small trees or shrubs that normally only get to around 12 feet tall. The leaves are roughly three inches long and the fruit itself is dark reddish-purple in color with a whitish bloom.

Also known as sour plums or sand plums, Oklahoma plum trees grow to roughly six feet in height and have very tall leaves.

The fruits themselves ripen during the summer months and although the red fruits are usually not eaten, they used to be dried and saved for the winter by Native Americans. Grown mostly in the central part of the United States and northern Mexico , Mexican plums are dark red or purple in color and ripen in the fall. The trees grow white fragrant flowers in early spring and do best in growing zones Mexican plums are one of the many plum tree types that produce great fruits for making preserves.

Flatwoods, or hog plums, grow on trees that can get up to 20 feet high and 15 feet wide. Compared to other plum trees, these trees grow fruit much later — usually from August to October.

The trees have white or cream-colored flowers and fruit that is round and purple in color. Flatwoods plums are usually used for jams and jellies. They produce large crops only every three to four years. Also called Cherokee or sand plums, Chickasaw plums are red in color and grow on trees that get up to 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide.

Until the plums are fully ripe, they are rather tart and resemble cherries. They ripen in late summer and need water and dry or sandy soil to grow. Chickasaw plums are low maintenance and turn more yellow when they start to ripen.

You can eat them raw or use them in jams and jellies. Also called black plums, Canada plums grow on trees that get up to 33 feet in height and have broad, wedge-shaped leaves. The attached flowers are white or pink in color. The fruit is slightly oval in shape and has a thick, very tough skin. Orange or dark red in color, Canada plums are very juicy but somewhat sour and they can be used to make pies, preserves, jellies, and even to cook.

The trees are even able to withstand hard, cold winters. Thicket plums are one of the many plum tree types that make good food for birds and other wildlife. They are typically found near water sources such as streams and their flowers usually bloom in either March or April. Also called creek plums , thicket plum trees are native to the United States and are found in areas such as Kansas, Kentucky, California, Missouri, and Tennessee, to name a few.

Early plums are ones that ripen in July and early August. Opal is our recommended early dessert plum. It is a reddish purple plum with sweet yellow flesh which ripens in late July or early August. It is a Swedish variety and as such suitable even for colder northern regions. Commercially grown plums are picked well before they are ripe for better shelf-life and are often lack flavour.

Rivers Early Prolific is an excellent early culinary plum which makes very good plum jam. Although not strictly plums, some of the cherry plums provide an interesting early ripening fruit. Gypsy which is red and Golden Sphere which is yellow are both very tasty for eating fresh but also good for jam making. Most plums and gages are mid season plums and ripen in the second half of August. Be sure no fruit is right against the edge of the netting. A few gardeners just place mesh bags over small fruit clusters that are developing, if it is a small garden.

Some people also hang among the branches strips of special metallic-looking tape made for this purpose, or similar items, with mixed success. Others use items made to look like owls or owl eyes—also with mixed success. Ok I feel like this is a stupid question but here we go..

Are these small green fruits I see developing going to be plums I can harvest already this year? I had a plum tree in my yard for over 30 years they were red until full ripeness,then turned dark ,almost purple these were the best ever. I recognized and befriended a neighbour at a chance meeting at Walmart :o garden end of season sale! She invited me to pick prune plums at her place.

At the same time, I went around l king and chasing the same dark purple prune plum At first, I spotted some at a local nursey with pretty costly price tags. I kept looking. Guest what I bought one. However, It is still young, no harvest just yet. I was told, it is common to have lots of blossoms with no fruits in the early years for young fruit trees. Keep l king and visit your local garden centres, nursery and with a happy carefree joyful heart, you will find one.

All the best! I plan to plant my Royal Plum on the west side of a building. It will be protected from the wind and have south and west sun.

Is that enough sun for this type of plum tree. We are in a house with plum trees. They flower every year but the flowers seem to be fewer every year. We have lived here 4 years. The bark is splitting and has not produced any fruit. Also they are dark brown, almost black. Can you help? Thank you. Hi Judith, A Damson Plum will fare better with a pollinator tree nearby. You must have a compatible variety which blooms at the same time. We would suggest Green Gage or Stanley.

Honey bees are the major pollinator. The flowers grow on those short spurs. We hope this helps and would advise contacting your local Washington State cooperative extension for on-the-ground help! I have recently germinated a plum tree and planted it in a pot, fall is coming and I need to know how to take care of it.

Do i move it inside? How long do I leave it outside till I move it inside? Any help it appreciated. Thank You. I'm not sure what kind of plum tree it is we got it from some whole seller and it didn't say.. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. It sounds like your plum tree may not be a self-pollinating variety, which means that it will need a friend to cross-pollinate with in order to produce fruit.

If the tree looks perfectly healthy and strong in every other aspect, lack of cross-pollination is likely the problem. So, instead of chopping the tree down, you should plant another plum tree nearby! Last year was the first time my Italian plum produced. My tree is probably 5 or 6 years old.

I had more plums than I knew what to do with. This year there doesn't seem to be as many plums. The tree seems to be healthy. Do the trees produce every year or only every other year?

Small fruits can be caused by a number of factors. Did you happen to experience a frost in April or May? Sub-par pollination of flowers can also result in small fruits, as can insufficient pruning, fertilization, and fruit-thinning. About how many plums are too many on a tree that we need to take some off?

Its a semi-dwarf tree. Its about 7ft tall and 5ft wide,we had about to plums on it.??? For plum trees, you want to leave about 2 to 4 inches between fruits, which give them enough room to expand. We would still suggest doing it, though, especially if your tree is looking very weighted down by its fruit. Bees are NOT dying out in california. All I can say is it'd be best if they not find themselves near MY land. The yield was the same with perfect fruit, but the fruit was bitter.

What should I do for the future? I planted what I think is an American plum 5 years ago from Home Depot. It has flowered every year but never produced any fruit. After doing some research I though maybe it was a kind that needed cross pollination. So I bought an Italian prune plum from Home Depot this year and planted it 10 feet away from the much taller American plum. I am now worried that they will not cross pollinate or even bloom at the same time.

Can someone tell me if these two types cross pollinate? Thank you so much. Hi, Star: Yes, your American plum needs cross-pollination and in fact is an excellent cross-pollenizer itself. Give it some time.