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| Hi there. We are going to be getting a plum tree for our yard and was wondering what variety you all would recommend? I live in Seattle, we're looking for a European variety, 8-12 feet tall with maturity, and I'd like beauty as well as flavor. If you were in my shoes, what would your short list be? |
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| 'Italian' is the standard variety. But 8'-12' is pretty small for any plum tree. |
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| If you want to make a good jam, I'd go with damson plum. They are a bit tannic fresh though. you're smart to choose European over Asian Plums- much better in our region and less prone to brown rot. |
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| Yields rather light and intermittent on a Damson being grown on a Seattle site. |
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- Posted by tallclover Zone 8 Maritime Pac (My Page) on Sat, Oct 29, 11 at 10:57
| French prune or Imperial Epineuse is a great plum, rich flavor, reddish purple skin, and a gorgeous tree that stays manageable and small around ten feet. I grew it my SEattle yard and always had plums and something pretty to look at. |
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| Thanks tallclover. I think I may go with that one. I had chosen Seneca but I think I'll put it on my dad's 5 acres since he has room to play around with a tree that may or may not fruit. Imperial Epinuse sounds like a winner. Thanks again. |
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- Posted by briergardener 7 (My Page) on Mon, May 28, 12 at 21:55
| What about pollinizer for Imperial Epineuse? Tallclover, do you have one tree or you have some other for pollinizer? |
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| My neighbor has an Italian Plum so I'm good for pollination. Seattle is filled with Italian plums. |
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| Well it took me a while but I finally got my imperial epineuse plum tree from Raintree today. Tiny little bareroot tree! Put it in the ground just in time for a light Seattle rain. Thanks for the help. It'll be a few years before I see fruit (it's maybe 3-4 feet tall once planted) but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait. |
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| I guess this is a bit late, but I've got a Stanley plum grafted onto dwarfing rootstock that's the height you're looking for. I presume you can do the same thing with other cultivars to keep them small. |
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| Mirabelle or Mirabelle de Metz, a very old French variety. While the fruit is small, it is abundant. Pretty, too: yellow, with small red spots. Best-flavored plum I have ever eaten. Raintree currently carries de Metz. |
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- Posted by nw_gardener 8 (WA/Kirkland) (My Page) on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 19:49
| I know you said you are looking for a European variety, but if you are just looking for a plum that tastes good and stays small(er) I can recommend the variety "Hollywood". It is a Japanese plum with leaves and flowers very much like the Thundercloud ornamental variety and has excellent sweet reddish fruits that ripen in September. I bought mine from the Hartmann nursery around 3 years ago and the tree is about 7 feet tall now and shows all signs of staying compact. Here is a picture from the Hartmann nursery showing what the fruit and leaves look like: http://www.hartmansfruitphotos.com/Trees/Plums/9331147_Xk5VLh#!i=62402 0915&k=DNFTc2H I find that the leaves and fruit on my tree are redder than in the picture. |
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| You are actually talking about 'Spencer Hollywood', a different kind from 'Hollywood'. 'Spencer Hollywood' is the "Hollywood" of general commerce at this time. For an article on this cultivar from the world authority on purple-leaved plums .... |
Here is a link that might be useful: Spencer Hollywood' Plum; Prunus 'Spencer Hollywood'
This post was edited by bboy on Mon, Apr 22, 13 at 1:14
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