Plum Trees – Be Well and Prosper

From Texas Agrilife 2015 PDF Plums, Nectarines, Apricots: European plums, such as Stanley, do not work well in Texas. (But maybe in hill country?)

Most plum varieties are not self-fruitful. You will need to plant two varieties with similar blooming periods for pollination and for fruit to set. The soil type, site preparation, planting and cultivation of plums is very similar to that of peaches. Bacterial and fungal pathogens along with the insect and vertebrate pest are also generally the same as for peaches, i.e., brown rot, bacterial leaf spot, plum curculio, and stink bug.

Disease Resistance

Need to check varieties below for disease resistance.
See Garden Forum Auburn Plum taste? | PSU extension plum varieties suggest

AU Amber: The fruit is medium sized with a purple skin and excellent flavor. Fruit is smaller than that of AU Rosa and AU Rubrum. Partially self-fruitful.
AU Rosa: The fruit has a bright-red skin with yellow flesh.
AU Rubrum: The fruit is large and firm with a maroon skin with red flesh. Reported to be self-fruitful.
AU Cherry: A small plum that has consistently produced
large crops.
AU Roadside: Sometimes listed as “War Eagle!” in nursery catalogs. The red-skinned fruit and flesh is of high quality. Flowers are self-fruitful
Increasing Resistance in all Varieties

Removing infected branches as soon as you notice the disease is the most effective measure in increasing the resistance of your plum. The easily recognizable black knots are not the first sign of the disease; soft, green swellings on twigs in early spring are the precursor to the knots, and need removal 6 to 8-inches below the swelling. Keeping your tree healthy is another essential technique for keeping the disease at bay. Planting your tree in full sun, watering regularly and fertilizing before the tree forms leaves in spring can help.

Plum Varieties

The European plum is generally easier to grow than the Japanese because Japanese plum trees need more pruning and more fruit thinning. They generally spoil faster than European plums after harvest. Europeans tend to stay on the tree longer, and they last longer after they are picked. It seems that European plums do not do all that well in a hot climate.
From Drew Demler’s Fruit Tree list (Central Texas): Methley red skin and flesh; easy to grow and good quality. Santa Rosa short-lived but a great plum.
Other varieties work here, but most think these two are the best.

FruitTreeFarms.com sell Plum trees on Halford root stock – best on lime soils. Only $9.00 each! Good reviews.

AU Amber:

650 chill hrs. Zones 7-8. An Auburn University release. It’s a heavy producer of 2 inch dark red skinned, yellow-amber fleshed fruit. Delicious for fresh eating or canning. Clingstone. Fruit ripens in early June. Trees are somewhat self fertile, better production when pollinated with another AU or Methley plum. Fruit is smaller than that of AU Rosa and AU Rubrum. Partially self-fruitful. https://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/JFE/product/au-amber-2/

Simka Plum / New Yorker

Zones 5-9. Oliver, BC – yellow fleshed with quite ordinary taste. Supposed to be good for cannint. Does not have overtones of Laroda. “A larger, heart-shaped plum with a red to reddish purple skin, light freckling and firm golden flesh with sweet flavor. It’s available throughout the month of July. Ships and stores well.

Bruce

800 chill hrs, zones 3-8. Large red plum that must be pollinated to bear fruit. Hybrid of Japanese & European plums. Pollinate with Morris, Methley or Santa Rosa. It ripens about the first of June, a little ahead of Methley. Large-sized plum. Eat the fruits fresh, preserved in jams and jellies, or canned. Some don’t like the taste.

Methley

250-360 chill hrs. Zones 6-10. Ripens from late May to early June. Japanese. The fruit is small to medium size with a mottled purple peel and juicy red flesh that is sweet and flavorful. It is adapted across Texas but is soft and does not store well. It is self-fruitful and readily pollinates other plums. Harvested with a green shadow, but ripens to a vibrant purple with a deep red flesh at market. Small round fruit. FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Au Rubrum

Au Rubrum is a Methley hybrid. It has a maroon skin color with red flesh. Au Rubrum ripens early July to the middle of July. Zones 5-9 FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Allred

600 chill hrs. Zones 5-9. Early plum, ripens in June before Morris, Santa Rosa & Bruce. Red leaves, red fruit makes it a nice ornamental shade tree. 15-20′ Partially self-fruitful. Pollinators: Burbank, Santa Rosa or Ozark Premier. Bob Wells. Womack

Morris

800 chill hrs. Zones 3-8. Performs best when it is planted with another variety that will pollinate it. It ripens in early June and is a large plum with firm red to purple flesh Pollinate with Bruce, Methley, Santa Rosa. A reddish-black skinned, medium-large sized plum with red flesh. It ripens early, and its flesh is firm, somewhat dry, and crisp with good flavor. Bob Wells.

Santa Rosa

Resistant to blacknot. 300-400 chill hrs, Zones 5-10. Japanese. Large purplish plum with amber colored flesh. It ripens in late June and is a popular home and market variety across the state. It is a sweet plum that is delicious when eaten fresh, cooked or canned. Womack, Bob Wells, FruitTreeFarms on Halford

* Laroda Plum

Excellent taste Oliver (Inge). Japanese type. Zones: 5-9 Chill hours: 400 Harvest: July 25 – August 15 Dark purple skin with red and amber flesh. Excellent flavor, juicy, considered one of the best tasting plums. Extraodinary wine-like flavor. Thin and tender skin. Dave Wilson’s Taste Test Top Scorer. Low chill hours, good choice for milder climates. Prolonged, summer harvest. Dark purple fruit similar to Santa Rosa, but larger and 5-6 weeks later maturing. Also a “superior canning plum.”
In 1943 the Laroda plum was developed in Winters, California, by Claron O. Hesse at the California Agricultural Experiment Station; it was introduced to the market in 1954. Pollinated by Late Santa Rosa and Burgundy. GrowOrganic, BayLaurel Nurserly

AU Rosa

Firm dark red plum with juicy yellow flesh has excellent flavor for fresh eating or for cooking. Vigorous, productive trees. Fruit ripens mid to late June. Trees are somewhat self fertile, better production when pollinated with another AU or Methley plum. 650-700 chill hours. Zones 7-8. Upright with dark green leaves. Vigorous and disease resistant. Bob Wells JustFruits,

AU Roadside

Disease resistant. Sometimes listed as “War Eagle!” in nursery catalogs. The red-skinned fruit and flesh is of high quality. Heavy crops of excellent dark red quality fruit. Flowers are self-fruitful.Au Rubrum ripens early July to the middle of July. Zones 5-9 Bob Wells, FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Au Producer

is a Japanese plum with dark red skin color and a red flesh. Zones 5-9 FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Black Ruby

has a reddish black skin color with yellow flesh. Zones 5-9 FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Byron Gold

is yellow fleshed, yellow skinned fruit. Requires pollination. Zones 5-9 FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Ruby Queen

has a reddish black fruit with red flesh. Zones 5-9 FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Ozark Premiere

800 chill hours. Zones 3-8. Japanese. Cross between ‘Methley’ and ‘Burbank’. This Japanese type is a large, bright-red fruit with a tough skin. The flesh is yellow and juicy and of a fair quality. The flavor tends to be on the tart side. This is a clingstone fruit, but with a small seed. Harvest in southcentral Pennsylvania is around August 15. Will not pollinate Stanley or Bluefre. It is self-fruitful and ripens in July. Skin can be tough. Bob Wells, FruitTreeFarms on Halford

Green Gage

European. 700 chill hrs. Zones 5-9. Ripens August 1 – August 15. Small-medium sized with attractive bright green skin and amber, smooth-textured flesh. Tart-sweet with rich candy-like flavor; excellent fresh, dried and cooked. A favorite plum for cooking, canning and making homemade plum jam.

Bavay’s Green Gage Favorite in colder regions. This superior ‘Gage’-type European plum is better suited to and more productive in mild winter climates than the original ‘Green Gage’. Considered the ideal dessert plum in Europe. This plum was developed in 19th century Belgium. Self-fruitful.

Stanley Prune Plum

700-800 chill hours. Zones 4-9. Partially self-fruitful. Cross-pollinate with Ozark Premiere or Allred. Ripens Aug September. Bob Wells