Sweet Tasty Plum Fruit is Produced in Summer
The Prunus salicina Santa Rosa Plum tree is a favorite cultivar among home gardeners for its lush fruit and low maintenance qualities.
The Santa Rosa produces high-quality, large, red fruit growing with golden yellow flesh that appears in early spring and ripens in mid July. The tree yields an abundant harvest of delicious plums with purple skin!
They have a wide variety of culinary uses, including freezing, making ice cream, plum jelly, and preserves. The stone fruits of this Santa Rosa Japanese plum are delicious when eaten fresh and the more you pick them the greater the fruit production will be.
Developed by Luther Burbank in 1885, an American botanist and horticulture pioneer discovered this plum tree. Everyone was so amazed by the fresh eating plums it won many awards and has been cherished for generations.
The beautiful weeping branches producing fruit will bloom luscious white flowers that load the tree to prepare for pollination. The green leaves of this medium sized tree will contrast nicely until the leaves fall for winter.
The Santa Rosa Plum Tree is an excellent option for cross pollinating other fruit including other plum trees, pear trees, and peach trees. Read more about Pollination in Fruit Trees.
Check out this Santa Rosa Plum Pollination Chart to find out which other Japanese varieties of plum it can pollinate.
HOW TO PLANT A SANTA ROSA PLUM TREE
This European plum tree prefers well-drained soil, full sun, and is self-fertile. This means it does not need another plum tree around to produce fruit. However, having another plum variety will increase fruit production and you will have a heavier crop.
The plum tree grows best across the United States in USDA plant hardiness zones 6-10. This plum tree requires around 300 to 400 chill hours for best results in fruiting. It is a heat tolerant tree and prefers the southern climates.
The Santa Rosa Plum size is semi dwarf. This plum variety can grow wider than it is tall. At a mature height of 15-20 feet tall and 18 – 25 feet wide this dwarf tree requires space for its branches and root system to grow.
Santa Rosa Plum Tree Care
Plant fruit trees in the spring for the best results. A slow release fertilizer at the top of the root ball will encourage new growth every year. Mulch will help protect the tree and keep in moisture during the hot summer months.
Santa Rosa should be pruned each year during the dormant time of winter. You should water your Santa Rosa tree at least once a week during the growing season especially as a young tree when roots are established.
Easy to grow and care for and mostly free of pests and diseases, this home grown dwarf plum tree Santa rosa is an excellent choice for backyard enthusiasts and orchardists alike. Not getting any plums? Check out our blog about Why There Are No Plums on Your Tree. The most popular reason for no fruit is the Santa rosa plum disease – black rot!
This is not a bare root tree, it ships rooted in a container with soil.
Shop the Santa Rosa Plum Tree for sale.
Fruit tree planting is a great way to utilize your yard and space to grow food for your family! Check out the Plum Growing Guide and Growing Fruit Trees in Containers for more information on planting, harvesting, and reaping the benefits of this amazing tree!