Pipestone Plum

Other Names: Japanese Plum

Description:

This cold hardy variety bears red fruit with sweet, firm flesh; a compact tree that is quite ornamental; freestone, thin early for size; early to bear fruit; needs full sun, well-drained soil and a pollinator

Ornamental Features:

Pipestone Plum is smothered in stunning clusters of fragrant white flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves. It has forest green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy red drupes carried in abundance in late summer, which are excellent for fresh eating, cooking and baking and making jams and jellies but which can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit. The smooth gray bark is not particularly outstanding.

Landscape Attributes:

Pipestone Plum is a deciduous tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Disease
• Messy

Pipestone Plum is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Accent

Plant Characteristics:

Pipestone Plum will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.