17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)

Plums are nicely-known as sweet, tasty fruits that are also amazingly straightforward to expand. Compared to other fruiting trees, plums are really reduced servicing. Several sorts are also self-pollinating, so you only have to plant a single for a great harvest.

However, what many individuals really do not know is that plum trees arrive in many various versions. Some are fantastic for consuming, while other individuals actually aren’t. Certain trees do operate much better in specific climates, so it is very best to pick a tree that is suitable for your location in distinct.

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)

The 17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)

1. Cherry Plum Tree

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: NickyPe, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Small yards

This plum tree has blossoms that resemble a cherry tree, consequently its title. Although the cherries are edible and quite delicious, this variety is properly-acknowledged for hunting lovely in a garden. They are frequently planted for aesthetic reasons, not essentially for the yummy fruits.

They arrive in two types: trees and shrubs. Each the trees and shrubs are rather little, producing it very easy to harvest the fruits.

Pros
  • Beautiful flowers
  • Yummy fruits
  • Two varieties available
Cons
  • Fewer fruits per plant

2. Japanese Bush Cherries

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-8
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Versatile

Regardless of their name, these “cherries” are in fact plums. The plums only expand to about half an inch, but they are extremely sweet, which is why they are frequently utilized in pies. Several men and women also use the leaves of the trees to make a dye, producing them more adaptable than other plum trees out there.

These plum trees are very stunning when in bloom. However, they are mainly utilized for their sweet fruits.

Pros
  • Extremely sweet fruits
  • Leaves can make dyes
  • Aesthetically pleasing
Cons
  • Fruits are often utilized for pies only

3. Damson Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: dimitrisvetsikas1969, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-7
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Larger areas

It usually will take these trees a while to ramp up their plum creation. Therefore, new trees frequently need a handful of years before they start off generating substantially.Damson plum trees are one particular of the much more well-known European plum trees. Nevertheless, the fruits on their own are relatively small and have a strange style. Therefore, they are frequently employed to make jams and jellies – not in fact eaten entire. The fruits are also really substantial in sugar, which is what helps make them so straightforward to maintain.

Pros
  • Easy to find
  • Beautiful white blooms
  • Well-loved by animals
Cons
  • Strange-tasting fruits

4. Chinese Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: PollyDot, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-10
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Traditional landscaping

As the title indicates, Chinese plum trees are indigenous to China. They generate tiny fruits that are yellow-pink. Even with hunting fairly distinct from other plums, they style extremely equivalent. Many people consume them right off of the tree. Even so, they are also employed for sweet and liqueurs.

Although they have been initially known in China, these trees are now found throughout considerably of the planet.

Pros
  • Traditional Chinese medical uses
  • Yummy fruits
  • Easy to find
Cons
  • Don’t look like traditional plums

5. Blackthorn Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Pavlofox, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-8
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Large areas

Although these plums have a quite insidious identify, they really do not really have any thorns. They produce small fruit that is extremely dim purple, which is probably the place the name arrives from.

This tree is native to Asia, Europe, and even parts of Africa. Traditionally, the tree’s wood has also been very crucial and was utilised to make walking sticks and even weapons in some places.

You can tell this tree aside from other people simply because they have really massive leaves that get to up to two inches long.

Pros
  • Grows outward – not upward
  • Quality wood
  • Loved by animals and insects
Cons
  • Fruits are not as great as other options

6. Allegheny Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-8
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Small yards

This plum tree is a single of the couple of that is indigenous to the Appalachian location of the U.S. They expand on relatively modest trees and shrubs, which usually only get to about twelve ft tall. Owing to their smaller sized size, harvesting the fruit is quite uncomplicated. The fruits are a reddish-purple, but the flowers are recognized for their pure-white coloration.

While you can try to eat these plums straight off the trees, they are best used for preserves.

Pros
  • Shorter trees
  • Beautiful flowers
  • Edible fruits
Cons
  • Fruits mostly utilized for preserves

7. Oklahoma Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Not typically grown in captivity

As the identify indicates, these trees are native to Oklahoma. These trees develop to about six feet tall, which is significantly much less than other varieties. Their fruits are really bitter and unappetizing, even though, so they are normally not eaten. Even so, they are from time to time dried.

Pros
  • Very short
Cons
  • Unappetizing fruits

8. Mexican Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 6-8
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Larger yards

Mexican plum trees generate dark pink and purple fruits, which ripen in the tumble. They also increase extremely aromatic, white bouquets in the spring, which is 1 cause that they are commonly used for landscaping. They are indigenous to northern Mexico and some components of the United States.

Pros
  • Fragrant, tasty fruits
  • Beautiful flowers
  • Drought-tolerant
Cons
  • Difficult to transplant

9. Flatwoods Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 8-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Large yards

Unlike most other plum trees, this assortment can expand to be extremely tall – up to 20 toes substantial in some cases. They also grow their fruit a lot later, with some trees not becoming prepared for harvest till Oct. Nonetheless, they only create a massive amount of fruit every few a long time, with scaled-down harvests in among.

Pros
  • Large harvests occasionally
Cons
  • Small growing zone
  • Only produce large amounts of fruit every few years

10. Chickasaw Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Chickasaw Plum (32761984983) (Image Credit: Homer Edward Price, Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0 Generic)
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Large yards

Chickasaw plum trees are an additional assortment that will increase up to 20 toes tall. They produce pink plums, however they are fairly tart and are close in style to cherries. These trees increase very best in sandy soil, but they do need considerable quantities of drinking water to expand properly.

For the most component, these trees are incredibly hardy.

Pros
  • Large tree coverage
  • Tolerant to sandy soil
Cons
  • Tart fruits

11. Canada Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Up to zone 2
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Very large spaces

Out of all the plum trees, these are very likely the tallest, developing up to 33 feet tall in some circumstances. They have really broad, huge leaves that established them aside from other varieties as properly. The fruits are orange to dark pink in color. They are not typically eaten proper off the tree, as they have hard pores and skin and are recognized for being relatively sour.

Instead, the plums are utilized for pies, preserves, jellies, and cooking.

For the most portion, these trees are only used in colder locations, as they are extremely chilly hardy.

Pros
  • Cold hardy
  • Fruits used for pies, preserves, and jellies
Cons
  • Tough skin and somewhat sour

12. Thicket Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Salix lapponum kz03 (Image Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia Commons CC SA 4.0 International)
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Small yards and streams

Thicket plums are often used for landscaping simply because they are well-loved by a lot of animals. They are a wonderful foodstuff source for birds and other animals, however not necessarily for men and women. Generally, they can be found in a natural way by streams, with their bouquets blooming in March and April.

Pros
  • Attractive to animals
Cons
  • Not known for yummy fruits

13. Apricot Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Csillalilianna, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Larger areas

Although these plums are indigenous to China, they ended up introduced into the United States reasonably early. These days, they are often discovered wild in numerous places. The trees are rather tall, and the flowers generate relatively little pollen (which is a boon for allergy victims). The fruits are dim purple and quite aromatic. They are a bit flatter than other plums, resembling tomatoes much more so than plums.

Pros
  • Tasty fruits
  • Low-pollen flowers
Cons
  • Tall trees make harvesting difficult

14. Murray’s Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-7
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Not often grown in captivity

Murray’s plum trees are thorny and get to about 17 feet tall. They ended up initially indigenous to Texas, but they are now regarded critically endangered. They are usually not utilized in landscaping owing to their thorny mother nature, which also tends to make it hard to harvest the fruits.

These plums are purple with white dots – fairly diverse from the plums most people are utilized to.

Pros
  • Unusual plant
Cons
  • Difficult to find
  • Unusual fruit
  • Thorny

15. Oregon Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 4-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Large areas

The fruits are very tart, even though they are nonetheless edible. They are not as well-liked as other plum trees for this cause. Also acknowledged as the Pacific plum, this tree grows primarily together the west coast in Oregon and California. The trees are fairly tall, reaching up to 27 toes. Their flowers are white with pink dots, which typically encourages their use in landscaping.

Pros
  • Edible fruits
  • Unique flowers
Cons
  • Tart fruits

16. Morris Plum Trees

USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Large yards

This variety of plum tree creates reasonably large fruits that are vibrant purple or purple in color. They ended up bred particularly for zones five-nine and had been originally developed by Texas A&M College. Their pores and skin is really sleek, and the fruit is fairly sweet.

Nevertheless, these trees are not self-pollinating, so they must be planted in pairs.

Pros
  • Large fruits
  • Sweet
Cons
  • Not self-pollinating

17. Green Egg Sour Plum Trees

17 Different Types of Plum Trees (with Pictures)
Image Credit: Nowaja, Pixabay
USDA Hardiness Region Zone 5-9
Sun Exposure Full sun
Placement Small yards

As the name suggests, these fruits are not quite appetizing. They are acknowledged for getting really bitter and are not usually eaten routinely. Their only use it as a palate cleanser amongst dishes. They are only mildly sweet.

In spite of the title, these fruits do turn pale red when they are ripe.

Pros
  • Only green plum
Cons
  • Not very tasty

Conclusion

There are numerous diverse kinds of plum trees out there. Numerous were bred and set up by folks to prosper in certain areas. Consequently, despite becoming really typical in a distinct location, that does not always suggest that the tree is indigenous to their region. Instead, it is far more probably that folks bred it to prosper in that certain zone.

There are a lot of plums that are sweet and appetizing to folks. Nonetheless, there are also several that are not. You’d be shocked by the quantity of plums that are not really very delicious.

Alternatively, there are really only a couple of kinds that are developed to be eaten complete. In any other case, most fruits are utilized for making preserves and jams, whilst other folks are only planted for aesthetic reasons.


Featured Picture Credit: MiKi-STUDIO, Pixabay

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