Plum season is just getting started here in Maine with varieties Opal, Underwood, and surprisingly, Purple Heart. I worked a few limbs overy to this variety last year on a couple of my seedling p americana and a mislabeled tree. Some of these 2nd leaf grafted limbs flowered nicely and are now bearing fruit, the first few ripening. Beautiful deeep purple flesh that is meaty and richly flavored- a new favorite!
Thanks to John Meader who provided me with the scionwood.
I will post pics shortly.
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Purple Heart plum fruiting on 2nd year graft.
These are a bit smaller than I remember from when I tried them at my friend’s. Flavor is very rich, not quite as sour skinned as some of my other hybrid plums. Clingstone. Some what similar to Santa Rosa, but certainly more precocious. A keeper that has earned it’s place in my yard.
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I’m looking forward to trying some of these.The Aphids were controlled this Spring,which helped a lot.PH leaves were one of their favorites.
They are still firm,but coloring.
I think the scions came from your trees,Jesse,a couple years ago. Brady
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Looks good. Fedco speaks very highly of this variety.
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Brady,
Your Purple Heart and Beauty plums look so unblemished!!! What’s the secret?
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Probably number one is location.We don’t have Curculio and most likely no Oriental Fruit Moth here.
The main pests for me are Aphids,Earwigs,Ants and Stinkbugs.Oh yeah and sometimes People.The first four are not real difficult to control,the latter,not so much,lol.
Most of the insects like going after the Nectarines and Mulberries right now.
I did see a little rot on a Peach or Nectarine last year,but only one or two.
I tip my hat to those growing fruit in the eastern US. Brady
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Have you started getting any of these this year, Jesse? They look like a great fruit.
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Picked mine about a week ago, it is the best tasting plum I grow, really rich flavor and sweetness,
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Revisiting this variety, my PH trees have set a very nice crop this year, and although fruit size may have been affected, flavor and sweetness have not. My favorite Japanese, hybrid plum I grow. Early ripening once again, only Underwood is earlier here. RIchly colored flesh, dense and meaty, clingstone.
This variety seems to be of moderate vigor, grower friendly, In my unsprayed orhard, it has some brown rot, light curculio damage, but most of the crop is making it. This should be a good season for plums here in Maine-dry and hot! Also notable is that these sustained -26F this past winter, so zone 4 hardy.
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I grafted this variety onto a Santa Rosa this year and the grafts took
and are growing well. We’ll see how it performs in the heat of the South.
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These are coming in!
This bowl of plums came from a single branch 1" caliper, loaded to the max. Still very good quality…
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Does anyone know the official species for the Purple Heart plum? I’m guessing it’s a P. salicina or a similar Japanese hybrid but I’m not finding much scientific information at all on this cultivar.
I’m trying to plan out a small food forest layout and I want to confirm optimal pH, growth habit, size, etc.
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The parentage is unknown as it was brought to Meader by someone who did not know anything about its origin. Based on growing it it is mostly saliciana, I would guess a child of Satsuma which is one of the first Japanese plums imported to the US and which is similar in many ways. It is a bit more hardy than Satsuma and my guess would be it got some hardier non-saliciana genes from the other parent.
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What Scott said. Vigor seems to be moderate. .It is certainly more hardy than typical for salicina, it does well even in z4 Maine. Mine are all on p americana roots.
Is this the same plum as a elephant heart plum?
No it isn’t
ok. Thanks.
Does anyone have a source for Purple Heart trees? I see Fedco mentioned on here, but I do not see the variety on their website.
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Fedco is the only source. They dont stock it every year, but should have it next year (I supplied scionwood to their grafters this spring).
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Ahhh, talk about insider info. Thanks so much!
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