15 Types Of Plum Trees For Your Home Garden
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In your home garden, you may be considering planting a plum tree to elevate your green landscape. Plum trees, originating from regions like Europe and Asia, are indeed well-suited for home gardeners looking to cultivate delicious fruits with ease, but there are many options to choose from.
Learn about the different types of plum trees for your garden here. From European to Japanese and American, discover which variety is best suited for your home.
European Plum Varieties
European plum trees, also known as Prunus domestica, are renowned for their delicious fruits and beautiful blossoms. These trees typically produce medium-sized plums with a rich, sweet-tart flavor and smooth texture, making them ideal for fresh eating, cooking, and preserving.
Popular varieties include:
- Blue Damson Plum Trees
Blue Damson plum trees are renowned for their small, oval-shaped fruits with deep blue skin and tart flavor. These popular European plum varieties are prized for their versatility in culinary applications, particularly for making jams, jellies, and preserves.Top of Form
- Stanley Plum Trees
Stanley plums are a favorite among home gardeners for their versatile nature. They are excellent for fresh eating, canning, and baking, making them a staple in many gardens. With their deep purple skin and juicy flesh, Stanley plums add a burst of flavor to various culinary creations.
- Green Gage Plum Trees
Green Gage plums are famous for their unique greenish-yellow skin and sweet, honey-like flavor. These small to medium-sized fruits are incredibly aromatic and perfect for fresh eating or making flavorful jams and jellies. Green Gage plum trees are relatively compact and can be grown in smaller garden spaces.
Japanese Plum Varieties
Japanese plum trees, also known as Prunus salicina, offer an array of enticing options for home gardeners seeking flavorful fruits and ornamental beauty. Originating from East Asia, these plum varieties are prized for their large, juicy fruits and showy blossoms.
- Santa Rosa Plum Trees
One popular Japanese plum variety is the Santa Rosa. Known for its rich, sweet flavor and reddish-purple skin, the Santa Rosa plum is a favorite among fruit enthusiasts. These plums are excellent for fresh eating, baking, and preserving, making them a versatile choice for home gardens.
- Satsuma Plum Trees
Another notable Japanese plum variety is the Satsuma. With its deep purple skin and sweet, juicy flesh, the Satsuma plum is a delight to both the eyes and taste buds. These plums have a distinctive flavor profile and are perfect for snacking or adding to fruit salads.
- Shiro Plum Trees
For those seeking a unique twist on traditional plum varieties, the Shiro plum is an excellent choice. Also known as the Yellow Egg plum, Shiro plums feature golden-yellow skin and sweet, juicy flesh. These plums have a mild flavor with a hint of tartness, making them perfect for fresh eating or making jams and preserves.
Hybrid Plum Varieties
Hybrid plum trees offer a unique blend of characteristics from both European and Japanese plum varieties, creating unique fruits with diverse flavors and textures and providing home gardeners with an exciting range of options.
These trees are the result of crossbreeding efforts to combine the best traits of each parent species, resulting in hybrids that are well-suited for home gardens. They are bred for their exceptional flavor, disease resistance, and adaptability to various growing conditions.
- Pluot Plum Trees
One popular hybrid plum variety is the Pluot, a cross between a plum and an apricot. Pluots come in a variety of colors and flavors, ranging from sweet and floral to tangy and tart. These fruits are typically larger than traditional plums and have a distinctive flavor profile that appeals to many palates.
- Aprium Plum Trees
Another notable hybrid plum variety is the Aprium, a cross between a plum and an apricot. Apriums combine the sweetness of apricots with the juiciness of plums, resulting in a delightful fusion of flavors. These fruits are typically larger than apricots and have smooth skin and juicy flesh.
- Plumcot Plum Trees
For those seeking a hybrid plum variety with a unique color and flavor, the Plumcot is an excellent choice. Plumcots are a cross between a plum and an apricot, with a flavor profile that falls somewhere between the two parent fruits. These fruits come in various colors, including red, purple, and yellow, and are prized for their juicy flesh and sweet-tart flavor.
Dwarf Plum Varieties
Dwarf plum trees are perfect for home gardeners with limited space or those looking to grow fruit in containers. These compact trees offer all the benefits of standard plum trees but in a smaller, more manageable size. Dwarf plum varieties are ideal for small gardens, patios, balconies, or even indoor growing.
Dwarf plum trees will benefit from regular pruning to maintain their compact size and shape. They’re the perfect choice for those with small spaces but want big harvests.
- Pixie Plum Trees
One popular dwarf plum variety is the Pixie plum. This compact tree produces small to medium-sized fruits with a sweet, juicy flavor. Pixie plums are perfect for fresh eating or use in culinary creations, and their small size makes them easy to harvest and enjoy straight from the tree.
- Burgundy Plum Trees
Another notable dwarf plum variety is the Burgundy plum. With its stunning purple foliage and pink blossoms, the Burgundy plum tree adds a pop of color to any garden or landscape. This compact tree produces medium-sized fruits with a rich, sweet flavor, making it a favorite among home gardeners.
- Golden Nectar Plum Trees
For those seeking a dwarf plum variety with a unique flavor, the Golden Nectar plum is an excellent choice. This compact tree produces small, golden-yellow fruits with a sweet, honey-like flavor. Golden Nectar plums are perfect for fresh eating or use in jams, jellies, and desserts.
American Plum Varieties
In addition to European and Japanese varieties, there are several American plum tree types that offer unique flavors and characteristics.
- American Native Plum Trees
American native plum trees, also known as wild plums, are native to North America and are well-adapted to a variety of climates. These trees produce small to medium-sized fruits with tart flavor and are often used for making jams, jellies, and sauces.
While not as widely cultivated as European or Japanese varieties, American native plum trees are valued for their hardiness and resilience.
- Methley Plum Trees
Another popular American plum variety is the Methley, which is actually of Japanese origin but has become widely grown in the United States. Methley plum trees are prized for their self-pollinating nature and early ripening fruits, making them ideal as a reliable and low-maintenance fruit tree option where space is limited.
These trees produce medium-sized, reddish-purple fruits with tender flesh that is ideal for fresh eating, canning, or making jams and preserves.
- Underwood Plum Trees
Underwood trees, named after the town of Underwood, Washington where they were first cultivated, are another American variety valued for their sweet and juicy fruits. These trees produce medium-sized fruits with deep purple skin and tender, flavorful flesh.
Underwood plums are prized for their excellent flavor and are often enjoyed fresh or used for making jams, jellies, and desserts.
Choosing the Right Plum Trees for Your Home Garden
Picking out the suitable types of plum trees for your home garden can elevate your gardening experience and provide you with delicious homegrown fruits for many years. Whether opting for the domestic American varieties, European varieties known for their versatility, or Japanese ones prized for their juicy texture, Tristar Plants has just the plum trees for you.
Our Gold Star Guarantee at Tristar Plants ensures that every plum tree and plant you receive from us arrives in optimal health. From the earliest stages of growth to the final packing process, our dedicated team meticulously inspects each plant to ensure the highest quality. Whether you choose the Santa Rosa or Methley plums, you're sure to enjoy the beauty and flavor these trees bring to your garden landscape.