// SPECIES PROFILE · TREE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Japanese Plum

Prunus salicina

Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina) is a cultivated fruit tree grown for its edible fruit. Family: Rosaceae (rose family). Originally from China. Hardy in zones 5a–9a. Mature size 15'–20'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Jun–Jul.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Rosaceae (rose family)
Group: tree · perennial
Origin: China · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 5a–9a
Mature size: 15'–20'
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: fruit
Harvest (NE OK): Jun–Jul
Garden role: early-bearing plum suited to Southern heat · needs a pollinator partner · very early spring bloom

Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina) — *Prunus salicina* — Japanese Plum. Photo by http://kusabana.fc2web.com/index1.html via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: early-bearing plum suited to Southern heat · needs a pollinator partner · very early spring bloom. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, japanese plum pairs well with: Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), Wild chives (Allium schoenoprasum), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).