Quick Facts
Exposure:
Height at Maturity: Under 25 Feet
Usage: Fruiting
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones: 5-9
Product Details
We ship bare-root plum trees in spring 2027, each 3 to 4 feet tall. Pick Methley or Santa Rosa, in packs of 25 or 100.
Two Plum Tree Varieties
Methley began around 1900 in South Africa as a chance tree nobody planned. It is a cross between a Japanese plum and a cherry plum. The skin is red-purple and the flesh is deep crimson. It ripens from late May into early June, and the fruit clings to the stone.
Santa Rosa came from Luther Burbank, who introduced it in 1906 from his garden in Santa Rosa, California. Burbank bred 250 plum varieties. This one was named for his city, partly to put the city on the map. The fruit is large, sweet with a slight tartness, and ripens in July.
Japanese Plums Come From China
The "Japanese plum" is native to China. It reached Japan later, and the name stuck. The species name, salicina, means willow, because the leaves look like willow leaves. Each flower is about 2 cm wide, with five white petals, and they open in groups of three in early spring. The fruit measures 4 to 7 cm across. It keeps 3 to 4 days at room temperature and 1 to 2 weeks in cold storage.
Plum Pollination
Japanese plums and European plums do not pollinate each other, so match the group. Methley sets fruit alone. Santa Rosa sets fruit alone too, but gives a bigger crop with a second Japanese plum within 100 feet. Methley is a good partner for Santa Rosa. A mixed block of both gives every tree a partner.
Ordering Plum Trees in Bulk
Trees arrive bare-root in spring 2027. Keep the roots damp from the day the box opens. Volume pricing available on larger orders. Our guide to the advantages of planting fruiting plum trees covers the yard side, and the fruit tree growing and care guide covers planting. You can also browse more fruit trees for sale.