Plant Finder

Other Names:  Japanese Plum

Description:

This Japanese-style plum bears scarlet fruit that are firm, juicy, and sweet; requires a very low chill time, great for southern climates; needs full sun, well-drained soil; self pollinating, but fruit production improves with a pollinator

Edible Qualities

Scarlet Beauty Plum is a small tree that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces large chartreuse round fruit (technically 'drupes') with a scarlet blush and gold flesh which are usually ready for picking from late spring to early summer. Note that the fruits have hard inedible pits inside which must be removed before eating or processing. The fruits have a sweet taste and a juicy texture.

The fruit are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Baking
• Preserves

Features & Attributes

Scarlet Beauty Plum is smothered in stunning clusters of fragrant white flowers along the branches in late winter before the leaves. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy chartreuse drupes with a scarlet blush, which are carried in abundance from late spring to early summer. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

This 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 plant 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;

• Messy
• Disease

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Scarlet Beauty Plum is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• General Garden Use
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Planting & Growing

Scarlet Beauty 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 2 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. While it is considered to be somewhat self-pollinating, it tends to set heavier quantities of fruit with a different variety of the same species growing nearby.

This tree is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. 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.