How To Plant And Grow Plum Trees In Your Garden

Thinking about adding a little sweetness to your backyard? Plum trees are nature’s overachievers: beautiful in bloom, generous in fruit, and downright delicious when their branches are heavy with ripe, sun-warmed plums. Whether you dream of homemade jam, fresh fruit salads, or the perfect tart, this guide will walk you through everything from picking the right variety to reaping your first juicy harvest.

Plums (Prunus domestica) belong to the rose family (Rosaceae) along with cherries, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. They are a type of stone fruit that grows on trees in clusters, usually harvested for a short period in late summer or early fall.

These round, small fruits are usually reddish-purple in color and have smooth skin when ripe. Their flesh can be orange, red, purple, yellow, or white, and can vary in taste—some are sweet while others are tart.

There are so many ways to enjoy this juicy fruit from baking (pies, cakes, muffins) to jam-making. We also enjoy plum sauces served with pork and chicken. Or, enjoy the fruit raw like an apple and add plum slices to cereals, yogurts, and even salad.

Plums are also nutritious as a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Choosing a Plum Tree

There are three major categories of plum trees: European, Japanese, and American hybrids.

• The hardy European types do well in most regions across the U.S., and are generally self-fertile. If you have space for only one tree, go with a European plum. (However, even self-fertile trees will produce better if cross-pollinated with a second tree.)
• The Japanese types flourish where peach trees thrive (warmer regions, generally). The Japanese plums’ early blooms make them more susceptible to spring frosts in colder areas. They need to cross-pollinate with a second variety.
• American hybrids are typically the hardiest of the plums, with some varieties surviving as far north as Zone 3. They need to cross-pollinate with a second variety.

Order bare-root, rather than container-grown trees, if possible. Bare-root plants usually establish better. A well-established tree will yield up to 2 bushels of plums from late summer into fall.