Plum Tree Varieties: Which One Should You Choose?
A few months ago, I decided to look for plum trees to plant in my garden. I had become interested in organic gardening and was keen to find some fast growing plants and trees to grow. After some success with growing strawberries, I thought I would challenge myself again and go for another type of fruit, plums.
Fortunately, while doing some research I found out that growing plums is actually not too difficult. You can either buy the seeds or, an even easier option (also the one that I chose), is to buy young trees which can be found in supermarkets and garden centers.
The main difficulty I had was not planting these fruit trees but, believe it or not, was actually choosing the right type. There are over 200 varieties and some of them are most suitable for cooking rather than eating as raw fruit.
Types of Plum Trees
Plums are native to many parts of the world but the most readily available types nowadays originate from Japan and Europe. European plums such as Green Gage, Castleton and Bluebyrd are sweeter than their Japanese counterparts and tend to bloom later so they are more suited if you live in a place with cooler springs or later frosts. In general, Japanese plums are larger than the European variety.
Each plum tree variety has its own distinct features and characteristics. Here is an overview of three of the most popular types of fruit trees:
1. Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa plum trees are Japanese plum trees and bear sweet and juicy purple fruit which are ready for an early harvest in June or July. They can grow in hardy zones 4 – 9. These are the most commonly seen types of plum trees in the United States because they are capable of growing in most areas.
2. Green Gage
The Gage (Old English Greengage) was named after Sir William Greengage who made this variety popular by importing it to the UK in 1974. This variety is the sweetest of all types of plums and has a green / yellow fresh with a very distinct plum fragrance and smooth texture. The only downside is that they do not bear a lot of fruit. Their harvesting date is August.
3. Burbank Plum
This variety was developed in America by Luther Burbank, a renowned plant breed, 100 years ago. The fruit has a good flavour and has a yellow flesh and red/yellow skin. The Burbank plum tree is suitable for hardy zones 5 to 9 and can grow up to 15 feet.
The great things about plum trees are that they are fast growing. Their trees are magnificent to look at and the fruit can be enjoyed by family and friends. Hopefully this article has helped you choose a plum tree and given you a good idea of what to expect from it.
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