plum varieties identification

Depending on the variety, a plum may be green, red, purple, or yellow, and all have smooth, edible skin and sweet flesh surrounding a pit. Plums can be divided into two major groups: Japanese … Only a few diseases affect plum trees, so a very basic organic spray programme will keep the tree healthy and productive. There are two types of edible plums. European & Asian Plum Trees: prunus domestica Plums show great diversity of color, form, size, taste and use. Different varieties you can get include Shiro, Santa Rosa plum, Gold, Beauty, Damson, Blufre, Yellow Egg, Green Gage, and Friar. The Mexican plum also blooms in late winter with showy, fragrant white flowers, but this tree grows 15 to 30 feet tall with a rounded canopy that’s 20 to 25 feet wide at maturity. A plum is a fruit of the subgenus Prunus of the genus Prunus. European Varieties. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, plum-tree blossom image by Roman Ivaschenko from. Species plums have green leaves but many of the hybrid varieties will have red to purple leaves. Many cultivated varieties have been derived from this species. Two varieties that are excellent for fresh eating and canning are 'Satsuma', a large, dark red, sweet plum, and 'Santa Rosa', a large plum with crimson skin and purple flesh that turns yellow near the skin. The smallish blue fruit is best for jam, jelly, and preserves. Plum - some are cooking and some are eating. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Adjust accordingly for other locations.) The Mexican plum is hardy down to only -5 degrees F, but it can grow in nearly any soil type and is drought-tolerant when established. These are usually, but certainly not always, yellow fleshed blue skinned plums, that are often naturally 'drier' than the … For more information on the cherries and plums native to the Pacific Northwest, go to the species page or see " Trees to Know in Oregon ". many of these species. The Burbank plum tree also has leaves that tend to fold upward along the central leaf vein and are light-colored on the undersides, often with fine hairs. Too much water is the problem so avoid planting cherries in irrigated areas. Identify the American plum tree (Prunus Americana) by its 10- to 30-foot mature height and 5- to 12-inch trunk diameter. The American and Canada plum trees can grow in the coldest regions and cannot tolerate much heat, while the Damson plum tree is hardy down to -15 degrees F and can tolerate a wide range of soil types. This plum tree grows 10 to 20 feet tall and wide with an oval-shaped canopy. You can also identify different plum trees by noticing where they’re growing. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Plums may be yellow, red or purple and the fruit comes in different sizes from 1 inch to around 5 inches. Identify the Damson plum tree (P. institia) by its 1-inch-diameter, dark blue or purple fruits with yellow, firm inner flesh that ripen from August through October. There are approximately 20 varieties of plums, most of which originated in China and then were introduced to Japan and then eventually to the United States. The European variety is the most common in temperate weather regions. The ornamental plums are bred to have single or double white or pink flowers. Crabapples have no cultural issues but produce more fruit, which can be attractive but may create more clean up. Allegheny plum, Flatwoods plum, Hog plum, Sloe plum Prunus americana American plum, American red plum, Goose plum, (Spanish; ciruelo americano), (French; prunier américain) It is native to Europe and Asia. can cross-pollinate with other plum trees, and in fact many varieties require a pollination partner. Plum varieties are usually budded to peach rootstocks. There are two types of edible plums. Unlike the Methley variety, the Burbank plum tree can grow up to 35 feet tall and produces red and golden-yellow fruits. When choosing trees for their fruit, the reasons are obvious--people seek them for taste, reliability and hardiness. When choosing between ornamental plums, crabs and cherries, there are some differences to note. Flowering plums have been bred for their colorful foliage and attractive flowers. In the rest of th… Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Don’t confuse the Methley plum tree with the Burbank plum, both of which are derived from the same species. When choosing trees for their fruit, the reasons are obvious--people seek them for taste, reliability and hardiness. Examples of Japanese plums are the Santa Rosa and Satsuma varieties. It is a medium to large-sized fruit with good firmness and sweetness with a medium acid content for a nice balanced flavor. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Common varieties are Thundercloud, Pissardi and Newport. Some varietal names of plumcots are Plum Parfait and Flavorella. The other fruiting type is the Japanese plum. Some varieties have sweet fruits that can be eaten fresh, while others are sour … Cherry and crabapple trees strike the most resemblance to plums so knowing a little about them will aid in the process of identification. The leaves are surrounded by serration similar to what is found on a knife. Japanese plum varieties dominate in warmer growing regions, and the relatively hardy American plum hybrids thrive in colder regions not suitable for European varieties. Examples of Japanese plums are the Santa Rosa and Satsuma varieties. Early Italian Prune Plums. When in bloom, Prunus triloba will be completely covered with double pink flowers. Like many fruit trees, this plum is very hardy and needs a winter chill period to fruit well. Plum trees are among the cold-hardiest of fruit trees, some species growing in regions with winter temperatures that are well below 0 degrees F. Different types of plum trees can be difficult to tell apart, especially when they aren’t fruiting, but you can distinguish the species or cultivar by looking at many other characteristics. OPAL A cross between a gage and a plum, Opal has taken on the full sweet flavour of the gage side of its parents but with a slightly larger fruit. European plums ripen late in the season and Japanese plums are earlier. In the coastal plain, use Nemaguard or Guardian rootstocks to resist root-knot nematodes. Don't confuse the Methley plum tree with the Burbank plum, both of which are derived from the same species. … Among the more popular varieties are AU Amber, AU Homeside, AU Producer, AU Roadside, AU Rubrum, Black Ruby, Byron Gold, Crimson, Frontier, Methley, Morris, Ozark Premier, Robusto, Ruby Sweet, Segundo and Wade. The plums can be eaten raw although the texture is not nearly as juicy as many other plum or greengage varieties. Like many fruit trees, this plum is very hardy and needs a winter chill period to fruit well. Plum bark tends to be dark, smooth and unimpressive. Three types of cherry predominate the cultivation of this fruit. Use this list to help choose fruit trees which yield fruit at different times throughout the season. Vibrant - The first European plum to be harvested, the Vibrant is a beautiful plum with a violet-blue skin and amber flesh. Make sure you only prune in summer months to prevent fungal disease getting into your tree. Some of the most popular dark leaved plums are variations of Prunus cerasifera. The European plum ( P. domestica) and the Japanese plum ( P. salicina) are grown commercially for their fruits, and a number of species, including the purple-leaf plum ( P. cerasifera ), are used as ornamental plants for their attractive flowers and leaves. Also growing 10 to 20 feet tall and wide, the Methley plum tree has bright-green leaves and blooms in white umbrella-shaped flower clusters as early as late winter, often remaining on the tree while covered with snow. Degman writes a newspaper column for the "Hillsboro Argus" and radio tips for KUIK. Traditional Cherry Plums are sometimes known as Myrobalan plums, and can be used as rootstocks for many European plum varieties. Pluot: This is another hybrid, a cross between a plumcot and a plum, so though there is apricot somewhere in the mix, this fruit looks distinctly like a plum. Plums, gages and damsons are all stone fruits that thrive in sheltered, warm gardens. Their primary use is for cooking and they make excellent tarts and jams. Most will freely interpollinize. Gage - eating (desert) plums. The Methley plum is also hardy down to -15 degrees F and can tolerate high heat with a short dormancy period, but prefers lower humidity and rainfall while actively growing. The Mexican plum is hardy down to only -5 degrees F, but it can grow in nearly any soil type and is drought-tolerant when established. All Rights Reserved. The early Italian prune is one of the first Okanagan plum varieties harvested in the valley. These are some of the the sweetest form of plum and they … The trees are small and self-pollinating, and the fruit ripens … When fruit is visible on the tree it is simple to identify a plum tree. Improved varieties include 'Blue Damson', 'French Damson', and 'Shropshire Damson'. Plum trees (Prunus spp.) This plum is a multistemmed shrub no taller than 12 feet at maturity. One thing to look for in plum tree identification is the darker leaves. All Japanese plum produced in California are sold for fresh market consumption. It produces a small plum that varies in shades of orange, red, and purple. in the shoots having terminal bud and solitary side buds (not clustered), the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove … Plums on a tree. Most of the fruiting plums have a common rounded crown and are a medium sized tree. Spot the Mexican plum tree (P. mexicana) by looking for its small, red fruits and orange autumn leaves. come in a wide range of different species and cultivated varieties, or cultivars. The fruit is tart and fantastic for jams, … Plum Varieties. Her teaching experience for Portland Community College has set the pace for her to write online instructional articles. Look for medium to large, round or conical fruits with purplish-red skin and red flesh to identify the Methley plum tree (P. salicina). Most plums, but not all, require cross-pollination to set adequate crops; plan to plant two different varieties. These make up some of the best plums for the UK climate. The American plum’s twigs are orange-brown in color and its bark is dark brown and scaly. The purpleleaf plum withstands temperatures down to -25 degrees F and prefers acidic, well-draining soils, but tolerates some heat and drought. Cultivated cherry plums can have fruits, foliage, and flowers in any of several colors. There are two distinct kinds of plum trees. Marci Degman has been a landscape designer and horticulture writer since 1997. Japanese varieties tend to be oval- or heart-shaped and come in yellow, black, or red varieties. Fruiting plums are in the rosaceae family, which have simple five petaled flowers. Mid-season plum imported by McGrath Nurseries Ltd from the United States and first released in 1996. There are two different kinds of plums: Japanese, Prunus salicina, and European, Prunus domestica. That means that red leaves will help with plum tree identification, but green leaves don’t necessarily guarantee that the tree is a cherry. About six or seven main plum tree species are the most common throughout the world. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals. Unlike the Methley variety, the Burbank plum tree can grow up to 35 feet tall and produces red and golden-yellow fruits. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! The Damson plum has oval to elliptical leaves that are green and sometimes wrinkled on the upper surfaces with pale-colored, softly hairy undersides. The modern cherry plum varieties available in garden centres are often a bit larger than the traditional varieties, and might have some relation to the Japanese plum (Prunus salicina). 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