Blossoming Plum?

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
I have been trying to find a chart on EDIBLE PLUM and the colour their blossoms produce. I realize there are white blossoms, pink ones, and some of them in between, but what variety of plum produce what colours? I’ve looked and looked for info but so far ….. zilch.

avatar_e75601aee6ec_128.png
 

MichaelS

Masterpiece
Messages
2,013
Reaction score
4,733
Location
Australia
That's a Prunus mume. They have white, pink and dark pink flowers. Prunus ceracifera and it's hybrids have pink or white flowers. All the others (fruit) have white
 
Last edited:

JoeR

Masterpiece
Messages
3,948
Reaction score
3,451
Location
Sandhills of North Carolina
USDA Zone
8a
I bought two plum trees to have fruit, and they are white flowering. I still have the tags on them if you want me to look and seee what they're called later
 

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
Come on guys. There just has to be a chart of edible plums and the colour of their blossoms somewhere. I was sure that at least one of you would give me an impromptu lesson on the whole spectrum.

I saw these 3 videos and got all excited!




I realize that all of these are probably hybrids but I am confident that something can be done with the edible varieties too.
 

aml1014

Masterpiece
Messages
3,667
Reaction score
5,807
Location
Albuquerque new mexico
USDA Zone
7b
I am confident that something can be done with the edible varieties too.
I agree, I have one myself I'm giving a go. My teacher has a wild plum she grew from a pit and it's a nice tree, I'll try to post a picture next week when I go over...if I remember lol

Aaron
 

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
I agree, I have one myself I'm giving a go. My teacher has a wild plum she grew from a pit and it's a nice tree, I'll try to post a picture next week when I go over...if I remember lol

Aaron
Yes please Aaron! :)

plum.png
 

MichaelS

Masterpiece
Messages
2,013
Reaction score
4,733
Location
Australia
Nebari, Those in the videos are not hybrids, they are Prunus mume (except maybe the first one which looks like some kind of cherry) As I said all the edible varieties including all the Japanese varieties like Satsuma etc (the blood plums) have white flowers.
All the edible European varieties like the ones in your picture have white flowers. What else is there that you need to know?
You can achieve a similar show of flowers and a similar tree form (although they are second rate trees in the videos) with any plum but none will match the Prunus mume for beauty.
 

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
Michael, so you are saying that there are no pink-blossomed edible plums and the pink ones in the videos are fake?
 

MichaelS

Masterpiece
Messages
2,013
Reaction score
4,733
Location
Australia
From what I can tell, the ones in the videos are Prunus mume. Inedible really. Although they do pickle them. There may be pink flowered edible plums but I have never seen one....
 

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
From what I can tell, the ones in the videos are Prunus mume. Inedible really. Although they do pickle them. There may be pink flowered edible plums but I have never seen one....
So the chance of available, pink-flowered edible plums is slim. That's a pity. On the other hand white is often underestimated for their mesmerizing beauty! :)

Why would you assume those in your videos are edible?! . . .
I never did.
 

GailC

Omono
Messages
1,040
Reaction score
1,026
Location
North ID
USDA Zone
4-5
If you want a pink blossomed tree with edible fruit, look into apricots. Not sure how they are as bonsai but the flowers are very nice.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Prunus mume, is not really a plum, not a cherry, and not exactly an apricot. It is unique, botanically probably closest relative is apricot.

Probably the reason you don't see tables of flower color for edible plums, is because for most people, farmers in particular, flower color is not important, it is the fruit that is important. No commercial nursery will propagate an edible plum for flower color if the fruit is not good enough to meet taste standards for edible plums. All the selection is for fruit quality and disease resistance, flowers are an afterthought.

The edible plum is considered too messy for the landscape nurseries, and it has stiff competition from Ume, and the flowering cherries when being considering ornamental landscaping. Landscape ornamentals have to be plant it and forget it. Rotten fruit from an edible plum means commercial growers are not breeding edible plums for landscape use.

Oddly, there is a peach with fairly good fruit, that has double pink flowers, and is marketed as a landscape plant.

Most of the peaches I've seen have pink flowers, usually single. But I don't know if peach has other colors. I've only seen maybe a dozen peach varieties in bloom that I remember.
 
Last edited:

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
If you want a pink blossomed tree with edible fruit, look into apricots. Not sure how they are as bonsai but the flowers are very nice.
Thank you. I have lots of apricot. They vary in leave size and some make great bonsai!
 

Random Usr

Chumono
Messages
567
Reaction score
394
Prunus mume, is not really a plum, not a cherry, and not exactly an apricot. It is unique, botanically probably closest relative is apricot.

Probably the reason you don't see tables of flower color for edible plums, is because for most people, farmers in particular, flower color is not important, it is the fruit that is important. No commercial nursery will propagate an edible plum for flower color if the fruit is not good enough to meet taste standards for edible plums. All the selection is for fruit quality and disease resistance, flowers are an afterthought.

The edible plum is considered too messy for the landscape nurseries, and it has stiff competition from Ume, and the flowering cherries when being considering ornamental landscaping. Landscape ornamentals have to be plant it and forget it. Rotten fruit from an edible plum means commercial growers are not breeding edible plums for landscape use.

Oddly, there is a peach with fairly good fruit, that has double pink flowers, and is marketed as a landscape plant.

Most of the peaches I've seen have pink flowers, usually single. But I don't know if peach has other colors. I've only seen maybe a dozen peach varieties in bloom that I remember.
Now that was a good read, Leo. You are a one-man encyclopedia! I knew none of that. Peach sounds like the better alternative if pink is the goal. Should I assume they are not very popular due to leaf size? I'm going to have a quick look on google. Oh yes!

438704ddc748d1847a12fb3b559eac3a.jpg


I think something can be done with that!
 
Top Bottom