About
The dark purple rounded fruit has deep red flesh with very sweet intense plum flavour. An interspecific hybrid resulting from a cross between a Japanese plum and an apricot. The plum parentage is the most dominant. For warm sheltered sites only. The white, early spring blossom is prone to frost damage and protections is usually needed. Though partly self-fertile it benefits significantly from crosspollination to set good crops. It will pollinate with cherry plums (Prunus ceracifera), early flowering plums and other pluot cultivars. Pollination group 1. Cropping season: August.
About the genus
Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible
HabitBushy
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread2.5-4 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden
Care notes
CultivationTolerant of a range of soils as long as well drained, but prefers loamy, ideally slightly acidic soils pH of 6 to 6.5. Plant in a sunny, sheltered site. Flowers may be susceptible to spring frosts damage. Thin fruit if necessary. Grow as for plums - see How to grow: Plums for further cultivation details
PruningPrune regularly depending on how the tree is trained – see pruning plums. Train fan-trained trees in spring. Pruning established fans is carried out in early summer and after harvest
PropagationPropagate by chip budding or grafting onto a rootstock for fruit. The rootstock will largely determine the vigour of the tree
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to plum aphid, red spider mite and winter moth caterpillar. The fruit can be damaged by plum moth caterpillars, wasps and birds
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus