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Plums - Prunus domestica, Prunus salicina

 Taxonomy
 Origin, history of cultivation
 Production

 Botanical description
 General culture
 Harvest, post-harvest
handling
 Contribution to diet

TAXONOMY

Plums are placed within the Prunoideae subfamily of the Rosaceae, which contains all of
the stone fruits such as peach, cherry, and apricot. The subgenus Prunophora contains plums
and apricots. Hybrids between plums and apricots have been produced recently which are
said to be finer fruits than either parent. A "Plumcot" is 50% plum, 50% apricot; an "Aprium"
is 75% apricot, 25% plum; and the most popular hybrid, the "Pluot" is 75% plum, 25%
apricot.

Clockwise
from top:
Japanese
plum,
apricot,
and their
hybrid the
pluot.

Plum species:

1. European plums - Prunus domestica L. Worldwide, this is one of the main species
grown. Fruit are generally oval, smaller, and more variable in color than Japanese plums. In
the USA, P. domestica is used for prunes or fruit cocktail or other products, and rarely eaten
fresh.

2. Japanese plums - P. salicina Lindl. and hybrids. These are the most common fresh
eating plums in the USA. They are larger, rounder (or heart shaped), and firmer than
European plums and are primarily grown for fresh market.

3. Damsons, Bullace plums, St. Juliens, and Mirabelles - P. insititia L. These are the small,
wild plums native to Europe, cultivated their prior to the introduction of P. domestica. The
'St. Julien' types are used as dwarf rootstocks for plums. Fruit are small and oval (1 inch),
purple and clingstone for Damsons and yellow and freestone for Mirabelles, with heavy
bloom. They are used primarily for jams/jellies/preserves.

Plums are particularly diverse

flavor. At top left, Japanese p
Mirabelle plums (P. insititia).
prune cultivar in the USA.
European Plum Cultivars
These are placed into 4 groups, based mostly on fruit color and/or size, and use (processed
or fresh).

1. Reine Claude or Greengage - Round, green or golden plums used for canning and fresh
market. 'Reine Claude', 'Imperial Gage', 'Hand'.
2. Yellow egg - Large, yellow, oval plums primarily used for canning. 'Yellow egg',
'Golden drop'.
3. Lombard - Large, oval, red or pink plums, used for fresh market in western Europe.
'Victoria', 'Lombard', 'Pond'.
4. Prunes - Oval, dark blue or purple, freestone cultivars, dried postharvest. 'French' (syn.
Agen), 'Stanley', 'Italian' (syn. 'Fellenberg'), ‘Blufre', and ‘President'.

Japanese Plum Cultivars

'Santa Rosa', ‘Burbank', ‘Shiro', ‘Beauty', ‘Gold', ‘Methley', ‘Red Beaut', and ‘Ozark
Premier' are grown in several countries. In addition, ‘Friar' and ‘Simka' are popular in the
USA. Like European plums, many flesh and skin colors occur in Japanese plum cultivars.

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ORIGIN, HISTORY OF CULTIVATION

P. domestica
This species is native to western Asia, in the Caucasus mountains adjacent to the Caspian
Sea. It was brought to North America by Spanish Missionaries (west coast) and English
Colonists (east coast). Today, most production is in western states, with the vast majority in
California's central valley, where climate disfavors disease and rain cracking.

P. salicina
Contrary to the name, this species originated in China, where it was cultivated for
thousands of years. It was brought to Japan 200-400 years ago, where it then spread around
the world, being falsely called "Japanese plum". In the USA, it is grown primarily in
California, and is the major fresh market plum seen in grocery stores.

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PRODUCTION

World (2004 FAO) - 9,836,859 MT or 21.6 billion pounds. Plums are produced
commercially in 81 countries on 6.4 million acres. Yields average 3640 lbs/acre worldwide.

Top 10 countries
(% of world production)
1. China (45) 6. France (2)
2. USA (7) 7. Chile (2)
3. Serbia (6) 8. Turkey (2)
4. Romania (6) 9. Spain (2)
5. Germany (5) 10. Italy (2)
United States (2004 USDA) - 327,900 MT or 656 million pounds. Unusually low;
production is generally double this amount. The industry value was $153 million in 2002, on
the low side of the range of $200-320 million over the last decade. Most commercial plums
are produced in only 5 states (CA, OR, WA, MI, ID) with California producing 95-98% of all
plums in the USA.

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BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plant
Small to medium sized trees, similar to but more erect growing than peach. European
plums are larger and more erect than Japanese plums. Leaves ovate or elliptic with acute or
obtuse tips, short petioles, crenulate margins. Japanese plum trees have rougher bark, more
persistent spurs, and more numerous flowers than European plums. They are also more
precocious, disease resistant, and vigorous than European plums.
Flowers of European (left) and Japanese (right) plums are basically the same in structure, but
more abundant in Japanese types.

Flowers
Flowers are similar in morphology to peach, but white, smaller, and have longer pedicels.
Flowers are borne mostly in umbel-like clusters of 2-3 individuals on short spurs, and solitary
or 2-3 in axils of 1-yr-old wood. European plums bloom much later than Japanese types, and
are therefore less frost prone.
Pollination
Honey bees are the major pollinator. For Japanese plums, pollinizers are necessary for
commercial production for most cultivars. 'Bruce', 'AU Producer', ‘Beauty', 'Santa Rosa' (and
its sports), ‘Simka', ‘Casselman' and 'Methley' do not require cross pollination. In P.
domestica, about ½ of the major cultivars require pollinizers, but most of the major prunes
produced in the USA do not. ‘Stanley', 'French', ‘Italian', and 'Sugar' prune types are self-
fruitful.

Fruit
A drupe. Oval shaped in European types, round to conical in Japanese types. Bloom
(epicuticular wax) is usually present on glabrous surface (thus, the fruit surface is termed
"glaucous"). Plums require 2.5 to 6 months for fruit development, with most Japanese
ripening in relatively short periods (3 months), and some prune & canning cultivars ripening
in autumn. Thinning is necessary for proper size development for Japanese plums, but not
always necessary for European plums, particularly prunes, since they are not as floriferous,
and fruit set is generally lighter.

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GENERAL CULTURE

Soils and Climate

Deep, well-drained soils with pH 5.5 - 6.5 give best results. However, plums are the most
tolerant of all stone fruits with respect to heavy soils and waterlogging.
Plums are adapted to a wide range of climatic conditions; at least some cultivars can be
grown in almost every state in the US. European plums have a more northern adaptation, and
Japanese do better in southern areas of the temperate zone or in Mediterranean climates,
Commercially, Japanese plums and prunes are grown where rainfall during the growing
season is minimal, and humidity low to prevent diseases; this is why most production is in
California. Cold hardiness is excellent for European plums, similar to apple and pear, but
Japanese plums are less cold hardy (similar to peach). Plums have chilling requirements
ranging from 550-800 hrs for Japanese, and >1000 for European. Rainfall during the growing
season can reduce production by accentuating diseases and causing fruit cracking.

Propagation
Plums are T- or Chip-budded onto rootstocks as are other stone fruits.

Rootstocks
Since plum scions are genetically diverse, many different species/selections are used as
rootstocks. In the USA, Myrobalan 29C (Prunus cerasifera) and Marianna 2624, a hybrid
between ‘Myrobalan' and a Native American plum, are used most frequently since they are
widely compatible with most cultivars. Myrobalan 29C produces large trees with slightly
delayed ripening, and is not particularly resistant to diseases or other root related problems.
Marianna 2624 produces a somewhat smaller tree with slightly earlier ripening, and is
resistant to a number of problems confronting other stocks.

Planting Design, Training, Pruning

Japanese plums, like peaches, are typically small, spreading trees. They are planted at
relatively close in-row spacings (10-20 ft), leaving about 18-20 ft between rows depending on
equipment size. Pollinizers are planted in alternate row arrangements or distributed about
every 3rd tree in every 3rd row. The larger European plum requires wider spacings than
Japanese in many cases, and those grown for prunes do not require pollinizers. Plums are
trained to open center, but usually more upright than peach due to the natural growth habit.
Pruning during formative years is light; interior branches and waterspouts are thinned, and
growing scaffolds are headed to induce branching. At maturity, vigorous upright shoots are
removed, since fruiting occurs increasingly on spurs on older wood as trees age.

A Japanese plum hybrid in full bloom, trained to an open center system (left). A prune
orchard in California also trained to an open center, with higher crotches to allow shaker
attachment (right).

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HARVEST, POSTHARVEST HANDLING

Maturity
A variety of indices are used for plum maturity, depending on use, species/cultivar and
location. Japanese plums and European plums for fresh market are harvested based on skin
color and firmness, although sugar content and sugar to acid ratio has been used. Flesh color,
firmness, and sugar content are the most reliable indicators for prunes; flesh turns from
green-yellow to amber, solids reach 25-35%, and firmness of 1-2 lbs.

Harvest Method
Plums for fresh consumption must be hand harvested, and require 2-4 pickings for optimal
maturity over a 7-10 day period, as for peach. Prunes for canning or drying are harvested by
shake and catch methods like sour cherries.

Postharvest Handling
Fresh plums are handled postharvest just like peaches. Prunes used to be dried in the sun
like raisins, but now are dried in forced air tunnels for a more uniform product.

Storage
Plums have similar storage characteristics and problems as peaches, cherries, and apricots.
They can be stored about 2-3 weeks at 32 F and 90% RH. Neither species is susceptible to
chilling injury in normal storage conditions. Brown rot and Rhizopus rot, and blue and grey
molds are the most common storage problems. Once prunes are dried, they are relatively
resistant to postharvest diseases, and can last for months.
To the top
CONTRIBUTION TO DIET

Most Japanese plums are marketed as fresh fruit. European plums have a much wider
variety of uses. In California, almost all European plums are dried for prunes. In other plum
producing states, utilization is reported as: 30-50% fresh , 18-25% dried (prunes) , 20-25%
canned , 1-3% frozen. Plums are used for jelly/jam/preserves, brandy and cognac, pies, cakes,
tarts, and in confectionery. Per capita consumption of plums 1.3 lbs.

Dietary value, per 100 gram edible portion

Fresh plum Prune
Water (%) 87 28
Calories 48 255
Protein (%) 0.5 2.1
Fat (%) 0.2 0.6
Carbohydrates (%) 12 67
Crude Fiber (%) <1 1-3
% of US RDA*
Vitamin A 5 32
Thiamin, B1 2.1 6.4
Riboflavin, B2 1.9 10.6
Niacin 2.8 8.9
Vitamin C 13.0 6.7
Calcium 1.5 6.4
Phosphorus 2.2 9.9
Iron 5.0 39
Sodium --- ---
Potassium 3.6 15
* Percent of recommended daily allowance set by FDA, assuming a 154 lb male adult, 2700
calories per day.
 Cited from http://www.naturalhub.com/grow_fruit_cultivars_plum.htm

Plum Varieties for Home Production

WWW.NATURALHUB.COM

FRUIT VEGETABLES NUTS CULINARY HERBS GROWING AIDS ORGANISATIONS BOOKS & MAGS THE NATURAL
FOOD HUB

Along with peaches and nectarines, plums are the defining fruit of the summer season.

European Plums-Prunus domestica These are usually, but certainly not always, yellow
fleshed blue skinned plums, that are often naturally 'drier' than the Japanese plums,
and with a more delicate and refined flavor. They also encompass prune plums, which
are sweet but rather insipid. The Damson plum is also in this group, and in contrast, it
is very acid, and usually used soley for preserves or flavored gin.
European plums are usually late flowering and have a higher winter chill requirement
than Japanese plums. Some European plums, such as the damson, produce prodigously
in the warm temperate areas, others hardy at all. As a general rule, they are better
adapted to temperate, rather than warm temperate areas.

Japanese Plums-Prunus salicina bloom early, and can be damaged by early spring
frosts. This makes them more generally suited to warm temperate rather than
temperate areas.

Hardy Plums-these are selections of native American species of wild plums, or hybrids
between these species. These plums are hardy, late blooming, usually small or very
small plums adapted to the rigors of northern continental climates where most of even
the more winter hardy European plum are not successful.

Note: with increasing urbanisation, small lots, longer hours worked, competing leisure
activities and a more mobile society, home fruit gardening has decreased markedly. As
a result, mainstream nurseries stock fewer cultivars. Some of these cultivars will be
hard to find. The best starting place will be our directories of helpful home food
gardening products for your country.

EUROPEAN PLUMS

ANGELINA BURDETT-Early season. This dark purple skinned, yellow-green fleshed small
plum has excellent flavor, but has a fairly high chilling requirement. Pollenizer are
'Greengage' and 'President'.UK NZ AU

CACAK EARLY- Early season. Medium sized blue-black prune plum NZ

CACAK BEST-Mid season. Large blue-black prune plum. NZ

COES GOLDEN DROP-Mid season. Large yellow skinned, yellow firm fleshed fruit of
sweet and fine flavor if fully ripened on the tree. Requires a sunny aspect to fully ripen
the fruit. Pollenizers 'Greengage' and 'President'. C.G.D. bears reasonably well in warm
temperate areas. UK NZ AU

GREEN GAGE- Historically, known on the continent as 'Reine Claude Dorée'. Introduced to
England by Sir Thomas Gage, when it became known as the 'Green Gage'. `Mid
season.The small to medium sized fruit are green, or in some variants, greenish yellow.
The flesh is a transluscent greenish yellow, and the taste is pure nectar. It is one of the
most refined and exquisitely flavored plums there is.Unfortuneately, like most gages,
most variants have a fairly high winter chilling requirement, and fruit poorly if at all in
warm temperate areas. Prone to splitting after rain. Barely self fertile, use Stanley,
Coe's Golden Drop or Angelina Burdett as pollenizers. US UK NZ AU

GROSS GRUNE RENEKLODE-syn. 'Greengage'.Mid season.A small round greenish yellow

prune plum. NZ

REINE CLAUDE de BAVAY-basically a greengage, but the fruit are a bit larger and a bit
firmer than the true greengage. Some consider it may have a European plum of some
variety as one parent.

PEARL - regarded as one of the best flavored European plums. US

WANGENHEIM- Mid season. The small fruit have dark red skin. A prune plum. NZ

MILTON EARLY ITALIAN - A version of 'Italian' that ripens 10-14 days earlier than
Italian, but is otherwise pretty much the same. US

ITALIAN-syn.'Fellenburg'- Late season. A very well known prune plum in the Western
United States, 'Italian' is large, dark blue with a heavy bloom, and is a freestone. It has
a better flavor than 'Stanley' prune plum. It bears extremely heavily, but often drops a
lot of fruit in summer. The greenish yellow flesh turns dark wine when cooked, making
it very attractive when canned/bottled. Self fertile.US NZ

MOUNT ROYAL-A very hardy, medium sized, round blue plum. The flesh is yellow. The
tree is productive, medium vigor, and very hardy. US

D'AGEN 707-Late season. Late season. A small, red skinned, clingstone prune plum. NZ

DAMSON-Late season. These small, round, blue-black plums are covered in a heavy
bloom (like many blue European plums) and have amber-green flesh. They are acid, and
are usually used for jelly/jams or for damson gin (!), but if the fruit are left on the tree
very late they become of acceptable eating quality, if rather 'sharp'. The trees are
vigorous and bear prodigously, with some selections ('damson' tends to be a generic
term for many similar varieties) bearing very well in the warm temperate areas.
Disease resistant.

HAUSZWETSCHE-Late season. A small fruited blue black prune plum, which altho' semi-
clingstone is self fertile. NZ

STANLEY-Late season. The large purplish-blue freestone fruit have greenish-yellow

flesh which is juicy and sweet, but somewhat insipid. It does not require a pollenizer,
and is itself a useful pollenizer.The tree is large and spreading, and starts into fruiting
young. It crops heavily and reliably (late blooming helps avoid late frost). Stanley is
very suceptible to brown rot, so it will need to be sprayed with fungicide in wet
areas.The fruit are also susceptible to splitting after rain. US NZ UK

SUGAR PRUNE-A large, dark purple prune plum with purple, sweet flesh, but, like most
prunes, lacks particular flavor.US

STARK® BLUE RIBBONTM syn.-'Aldrich'. Late season. A typical deep blue, sweet, heavy
bearing freestone prune plum.US

YELLOW EGG-Late season. This yellow, thick skinned yellow fleshed fruit is juicy,
freestone, but without marked flavor. US
FRENCH IMPROVED-Late season. The dark purple, long, loval fruit is medium sized,
sweet, but without high flavor. US

More Prune Plum Information

Prune plum cultivars in New Zealand A report on 21 prune plum cultivars imported by the
'HortResearch' State owned business for trial as a commercial crop. The information is commercially
orientated, and reflects Central Otago, New Zealand, experience primarily, but is useful nevertheless. Several
good photos.
http://www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/science/prune.htm

JAPANESE PLUMS

BILLINGTON-'Billington Early'. Early season. Billington is a small plum with dark red
skin and firm red very good flavored flesh. Self fertile. NZ

BLACK BEAUT-Early season. A large purplish black, tough, acid-skinned plum with
yellow flesh changing to red with increasing maturity.B.B. is juicy, and moderately
sweet. Readily available in the markets as one of the first plums of the season, so it is
better to leave this cultivar to the commercial growers.US

BURGUNDY-Early season. A small, sweet, mild flavored plum with cherry red skin and
red flesh, 'Burgundy' is self fertile and carries heavy crops on an upright tree. US

DUFF'S EARLY JEWEL-Early season. DEJ is also a small fruit, but a bit larger than
'Wilson's Early, and also has red skin and yellow flesh.' DEJ has the advantage of being
self fertile.NZ

METHLEY-Early season. Small to medium, round reddish purple plums with soft, juicy,
red flesh and veery good flavor.Methley has a low chilling requirement, and performs
well in areas with cool summers and mild winters.It has the virtue of being self fertile,
and being able to pollenize 'burbank', 'mariposa', and 'satsuma'.

RED HEART-Early season. A cross of Duarte x Wickson, introduced in 1952. Redheart is a medium
to large dark red plum covered in a heavy grayish bloom and with bright red, fine
grained, sweet and aromatic flesh. the fruit hold well on the tree. The vigorous and
upright tree is pollenized by 'Elephant Heart', 'Wickson' and 'Santa Rosa'.US

RED BEAUT-Early season. A medium sized, bright red skinned, yellow fleshed plum
without a great deal of flavor. Readily available in the markets as one of the first
plums of the season, so it is better to leave this cultivar to the commercial growers.US,
NZ.

SANTA ROSA-Early season. Introduced by Luther Birbank in 1907. S.R. is a medium

large, crimson to purplish red, lightly freckled plum with yellow flesh slightly suffused
with pink especially near the pit. The fruit is firm, sweet, juicy, and aromatic, except
near the pit, where it is quite acid. The tree is widely adapted, partly self fertile (sets
fruit without a pollenizer, but sets a lot more with one), and the tree is hardy, vigorous,
and highly productive. S.R. is a very important commercial cultivar and readily available
in the supermarket. Nevertheless, it's very good flavor, self fertility, and importance as
a pollenizer makes it a very good choice for the home garden. USA NZ AU

WILSON'S EARLY-Early season. One of the earliest plums to ripen, but the bright red
yellow fleshed fruit are small and tend to biennial bearing. 'Doris' and 'Mariposa' are
likely to have the best flowering overlap with WE. NZ
BURBANK-Early mid season. Burbank plums are medium sized, bright red mottled
yellow, and have deep yellow flesh of very good flavor. The trees are partially self
fertile, and often set extremely heavily, which can lead to fungal disease such as brown
rot spreading quickly, and can cause biennial bearing. The trees are low growing, flat
topped, and with drooping limbs. Burbank trees tolerate more cold than some of the
other Japanese cultivars. 'Beauty', 'Methley', 'Santa Rosa' and 'Duff's Early Jewel' act as
pollinizers. US NZ AU

BLACKAMBER-Early season. Friar x Queen Rosa. A particularly large plum, with very
firm flesh. The skin is black, and the flesh is, as it's name suggests, amber. In climates
with less heat, it is often acidic at maturity. It is not suited to humid climates either, as
it is suceptible to bacterial diseases. The pit is small. B.A. is an important commercial
cultivar in Western USA. Pollenizer is "Santa Rosa'. US, NZ.

FORTUNE - Early season. Breeding is Laroda x [Queen Anne x Late Santa Rosa], introduced 1988.
Medium to large fruit with bright red and yellow skin, and yellow very firm flesh
suffused with pink. Flavour is perfumed, sweetness is moderate to good. It is semi-
freestone. The tree is adaptable, vigorous and upright. Pollenized by 'Santa Rosa'.

EL DORADO-Early mid season. A large, oblong, dark reddish black fruit with amber
flesh. The flesh is firm, rather lacking in juiciness, moderately sweet, but without
marked flavor. It has a very good shelf life, and holds it's shape when it is cooked. The
tree is particularly upright in growth.An important commercial cultivar. US

SULTAN-Early mid season. A medium to large red fleshed, deep red skinned plum that
is soft and juicy and has good flavor. It bears heavily on a rather low, spreading tree. It
comes into bearing early, and is reliable. Pollenizer are 'Doris' and 'Duff's Early Jewel,
altho' some say it is self fertile. Recommended for it's small size, very good dessert
qualities, and reliability. NZ

DORIS-Midseason. Doris is a medium sized red skinned yellow fleshed plum that is
sweet and with good flavor. It is pollenized by 'Duff's Early Jewel' and 'Mariposa' (altho'
fruit set is not as good with 'Mariposa').US, NZ.

FRIAR-Midseason. Breeding is Gaviota x Nubiana, introduced 1968. A large oval plum, deep black
with light amber flesh, Friar is a freestone and the pit is very small relative to the size
of the fruit. Friar is sweet and juicy when fully mature, with an acidulous skin. When
not fully tree ripened it is disappointing. Friar is is a regular and heavy bearer. 'Santa
Rosa' and it's variations is the main pollenizer. The tree is vigorous and upright. The
fruit keep well and Friar has become one of the most important commercial cultivars in
the Western USA. US

HAWERA-Midseason. A large, very dark red skin and flesh 'blood plum', found as a
chance seedling by the roadside in Hawera, New Zealand. The freestone fruit are sweet,
juicy and very firm fleshed. Probably self fertile, or partially self fertile. 'Santa Rosa' is
known to pollinate it. An excellent all round home garden tree.NZ.

LARODA-Midseason. A large cone shaped plum with dark red to purple skin.The flesh
is transluscent yellow, and light red just under the thin and tender skin.It develops an
intense flavor when it is cooked 'skin on'. The flesh is sweet, firm and aromatic, with
good flavor, although the flavor declines with time if it is stored too long. The tree is
very upright, well spurred, and vigorous.An important commercial variety. US

NUBIANA-Midseason. A large, reddish purple, almost black plum with amber yellow,
moderately sweet and pleasantly flavored flesh. Nubiana is self fertile.US
PURPLE KING-Midseason. This large fruit has purplish red skin and excellent flavored
yellow flesh tinged wine red near the stone.P.K. is a very vigorous tree, but must have a
pollenizer-'Sultan', 'Doris', or 'Duff's Early Jewel'. NZ

QUEEN ROSA-Midseason. Q.R. is a very large, lightly freckled purple-crimson plum with
greeny-yellow shoulders. The flesh is amber, very juicy, sweetest just under the skin,
but otherwise rather lacking in flavor. A biennial bearer. A commercial cultivar.US

SATSUMA -Mid season. A small to medium sized fruit with solid deep red skin and flesh
and the small pit is semi freestone. Satsuma is juicy, and it has a particularly good
flavor. The tree is an upright grower. 'Methley', 'Santa Rosa' and 'Beauty' will pollenize
Satsuma. US NZ AU

SHIRO - Mid season. A medium to large round yellow plum (sometimes with a pink
blush). It is pleasantly sweet and juicy albeit without marked flavor, and a clingstone.
The tree are spreading rather than upright, and productive - 'Methley', and 'Santa
Rosa'' will pollenize 'Shiro', and 'Shiro' will pollenize both. US NZ

SIMKA-syn 'New Yorker'. Mid season. A large, conic, dark reddish purple plum with
lightly freckled skin characteristic of plums derived from 'Santa Rosa'. The flesh is
firm, yellowish white, and pleasantly sweet, slightly bitter near the skin. The tree is
medium sized, and holds it's fruit well at maturity. Simka is largely self fertile. An
important commercial cultivar in Western USA. US

STARKING® DELICIOUSTM-syn. 'Johnson'. Mid to late season.A large, dark red, deep red
fleshed clingstone plum. The flesh is quite dense and has good acid levels, so it makes
very good jelly/jam and is good for canning/bottling, albeit a clingstone. The tree is
relatively cold hardy, productive, and disease resistant. Pollenized by 'Redheart'.US

ANGELENO-Late season.A very late large reddish purple skinned plum with light amber
flesh and a moderately sweet flavor if fully ripened. Angelenos' particular claim to
fame is it's extremely good keeping quality, and thus it has become an importatant
end of season commercial cultivar.US

BLACK DORIS-Late season. Medium to large very dark black purple fruit with dark red
flesh, B.D. is a vigorous, upright tree. Pollinator is 'Duff's Early Jewel'.NZ

CASSELMAN-Late season. A large conic bright red blushed plum with light yellow
freckling derived from the cultivar 'Late Santa Rosa'. The yellow flesh is firm and sweet
with some acidity. The upright tree is partly self fertile (sets fruit without a pollinator,
but sets a lot more with one)'Redheart' is likely to be a pollenizer. An important
commercial cultivar in Western USA. US

ELEPHANT HEART-Late season. Introduced by Luther Burbank in 1929, unknown

parentage. A large, dark reddish purple conic fruit with purple-red sweet, juicy flesh of
very good to excellent flavor. It is a freestone, and useful for fresh eating and
canning/bottling. In the prescence of its preferred pollenizers 'Laroda', 'Redheart', or
'Santa Rosa it bears well'. In their absence, it bears poorly. It is somewhat suceptible to
bacterial diseases, so may need more dormant spraying in humid areas. US NZ

GEORGE WILSON-syn. 'Omega'. Late season.A large, dark red skinned, firm red fleshed
plum of very good flavor, very good storeage ability, and regular heavy crops.
Pollenizers are 'Duff's Early Jewel' and 'Santa Rosa'.NZ AU

KELSEY-Late season. This is a striking plum carried on an unusual tree. The plum is
large, heart shaped, green to yellow with a reddish blush. The flesh is bright yellow,
firm, and juicy, with a particularly small pit. The fruit need to be left on the tree to
ripen fully, when they become very sweet. They can, however, be picked green and
stored in the refrigerator for several weeks where they will ripen slowly. The leaves of
the medium sized, upright, 'Kelsey' tree are narrow and willow-like, and the bark is
gray.Pollenizers are 'Santa Rosa', 'Beauty', and 'Wickson'. US

LOW CHILL CULTIVARS

As climate warms, it becomes important to think about varieties that will flower well
with a minimum of winter chilling. The following varieties have low chill requirements
(around 400 hours or so) -
'Beauty Burgundy', 'Delight', 'Friar', 'Howard Miracle', 'Kelsey', 'Mariposa', 'Meredith',
'Methley', 'Santa Rosa', 'Satsuma', and 'Sprite'.

HARDY PLUMS

PIPESTONE-Outstandingly cold hardy, this attractive golden blushed red plum has
yellow flesh, and is sweet and juicy. Pollenized by 'Toka'. US

TOKA-A medium-sized yellow/orange plum, with rich flavor and very cold hardy. US

BOUNTY - Prunus nigra (native North American plum) Late season. The dark red, egg-
shaped fruit, small fruit have tough and astringent skin, orange-yellow, juicy, but sour
flesh. Bounty is good only for preserves. But the tree is hardy and productive. US

DANDY - Prunus nigra (native North American plum) Late season. The small fruit are
thin skinned, yellow blushed with red, with yellow flesh. The fruit are mild and juicy.
The spreading tree, is both very hardy, and productive. US

IVANOVKA -Prunus salicina The small green fruit are mottled with purplish blue, the
flesh is yellow to pink, and are good for fresh eating. US

PTITSIN SELECTIONS - #5, #9, #10 -Prunus salicina Small greenish yellow fruits that are
acceptable fresh eating. US

PATTERSON PRIDE -P. nigra x P.salicina Late season. A deep red plum small to medium
sized, of very good quality. Up to 5 cm, deep red in color. The tree is small, with a
weeping habit, so well suited to small gardens.US

PEMBINA, ACME, ELITE and PRAIRIE-P. nigra x P.salicina are all more or less similar to
'Patterson Pride'. US

MANOR -prunus besseyi x prunus sp. Early season (for colder climates). The small
plums are dark, almost black, and is good eating quality. A bushy Prunus. US

OPATA -prunus besseyi x prunus sp A bluish-green skinned plum with green, sweet,
flesh and a small pit. 'Opata' is a bushy Prunus. US
Cited from http://www.koanga.org.nz/articles/plums-koanga-institute-collection

Plums in the Koanga Institute Collection

Dan's Early
Uses: Dessert
Ripe: Early December
Pollinator: Duff's Early Jewel,
Marabella.
Origin: Wilderlands.
Available: Scionwood

Large, yellow flesh, red skin, great texture

and flavour. Large tree, heavy cropper.
Large spreading tree, best quality early
plum around. Partially self fertile.

Maungamuka Plum
Uses: Dessert
Ripe: January
Pollinator: Self Fertile
Origin: Mangamuka
Available: Scionwood

Delicious yellow green soft fleshed plum

with transparent skin. It came from the
schoolgrounds at Maungamuka.

Marabella Plum
Uses: Dessert, Bottling
Ripe: Late December
Pollinator: Self Fertile
Origin: Cox, Northland
Available: Scionwood

Our most reliable, heaviest cropping

plum. This plum came to our collection
from Jim and June Cox and to them as
collectors from a family whose ancestors
had picked it up on the journey over when
their boat stopped in South Africa. It is a
well known South African plum. lt is a
small plum, red skin, yellow flesh and is
an O.K desert plum but it is an
outstanding cooking plum. with an
almond flavour and no bitterness at all.
We love them for breakfast. Self fertile.

Marabella Plums crop heavily every year.

Tamaki Special Plum

Uses: Dessert, Bottling.
Ripe: Late December
Pollinator: Duff's Early Jewel, and others
Origin: Wilderlands.
Available: Scionwood

This is an outstanding plum, from the

collection of the late Dan Hansen of
Wilderland fame. Dan was an amazing
gardener and collected many fruit trees
whose value he saw. This is one of the
best (Dan’s Early is another). It is a large,
dark red meaty plum which is full of
flavour and very sweet. It is always a
vigorous growing tree.

Whakapirau Gold / old Yellow O'gen

Uses: Dessert
Ripe: January
Pollinator: unsure
Origin: Whakapirau
Available: Scionwood

Yellow flesh and skin, large, sweet, juiciy

melting. Ex Kaipara Harbour, well known
by the locals on Whakapirau Beach, huge
crops. Large spreading tree, good health.
Ahipara Prune (Victoria)
Uses: Dessert, Cooking
Ripe: January
Pollinator: Angelina Burdett / Self
Fertile.
Origin: Ahipara Gumfields
Available: Scionwood

This is a very special plum that I found

growing in a long abandoned orchard on
the Ahipara Gumfields many years ago.
We think it is the old Victoria plum that
many people ask us for. It is a large egg
shaped classic looking prune except it
ripens earlier than all the others, in
January. With a dark red skin, yellow
very sweet sugary flesh and free stone it
is an excellent plum.
Burbank Plums
Uses: Dessert,
Ripe: February
Pollinator: Self Fertile.
Origin: Kaiwaka
Available: Scionwood

Burbank Plums were some of the very

earliest plums to enter the North (came
into the Kaipara with the Dalmatians) and
all the old orchards had one. They are
quite small trees that are easy to manage
and they are very heavy reliable croppers
The fruit is large, with a dark red blush
over most of the yellow skin when ripe
and the flesh is yellow and comes away
from the stone when fully ripe.
Especially great if you have a small
space.
Giant Prune
Uses: Dessert, Cooking
Ripe: February
Pollinator: Angelina Burdett,
Origin: RB/Matt
Available: Scionwood Large prune with
red skin and yellow flesh, freestone.
Originally from the Red Bluffs Nursery
Warkworth, from the collection of Tom
and Robyn Morrison.