A beautiful member of the cherry group, American plum is a wild version of the domesticated plum. Like other members of the cherry group, the spring flowers are quite beautiful and fragrant, sure to be a pollinator mad house!
American plums are more resistant to common plum diseases, a pattern seen commonly in the wild forms of domesticated plants. With that increased resistance comes a trade off, these are not usually like the fresh eating plums we know and love. American plums are more commonly processed, for example in preserves.
If the absolute best fresh eating plums are what you’re after, you can certainly graft domestic plum varieties onto your American plum tree after a few years using bud grafting, whip and tongue, wedge, or other types of grafts.
The American plum can often serve as a pollinating partner for domestic plum trees, either as a separate tree or as a multi grafted tree!
What Are Seedlings?
Seedlings are plants that have been grown directly from a seed. They are genetic individuals whose traits that are not exactly known. Seedlings are in contrast with plants which have been cloned, as cloned plants are sure to have certain characteristics.
Often seedlings share characteristics with their parents, but exactly how much is shared depends on the species of plant. Having good parents certainly doesn’t hurt!
Growth Parameters:
Plant at least two plums to ensure cross-pollination and fruiting.
Great cold hardiness down to zone 3! Expect an orchard size tree, up to about 15 feet tall. Give as much light as possible, fruit trees generally like as much light as possible. They naturally exist on the edges of hedgerows.
