These hybrid plum trees are widely grown in Japan for their deliciously flavoured fruit, tender and meaty. Japanese plums are especially juicy. ‘Satsuma’ is a very popular red-fleshed Japanese plum. The fruit of the Japanese plum can be eaten direct from the tree or stored, for a few days only, in a fridge. Some also recommend ‘a light poached Japanese plum’ as like nectar. Japanese plums are round in shape with a delicate bloom on some varieties. Usually they ripen early in July, but the site can delay them until August. Other varieties are ‘Shiro’, ‘Methley and ‘Beauty’.

The trees are grown like any other plum. Japanese plum trees are semi-dwarf due to their prolific cropping habit and our 6yr old Orchard trees are still only 5-6ft/1.5-1.8m tall. In fact the tree will need thinning to stop it over producing.

Blossom time for Japanese plums is early, and they will rival any for the display provided, a mass of white blossom. Happily most are also self fertile, and a native hedge plum blossom will also pollinate them.