Santa Rosa Plum Tree

Santa Rosa Plum Tree Overview

The Santa Rosa Plum tree is a Japanese plum variety which produces delicious reddish-purple plums with radiant white flowers in the spring. Not only is the fruit large with a fine-textured clingstone flesh, but it also has a juicy and sweet flavor. If you would like to cook with them, they are great for both sweet and savory dishes. Moreover these plums will ripen midseason. In fact, Luther Burbank, a legendary horticulturist developed this variety in Santa Rosa, California and introduced it commercially in 1906. Since then, it has become a benchmark variety for plums.

Just like any other plum tree, the Santa Rosa plum tree grows best in full sun with well-drained, loamy soil. While it can grow well in hardiness zones 5-9, it does especially well in places with cool but not cold winters and long, warm, and dry summers.Additionally, it needs about 300–500 chill hours which are the average hours of air temperature between 32° and 45° F in a typical winter season. It is very productive however it can be susceptible to bacterial spot. Moreover it grows in a columnar shape. If you would like more information on how to plant and grow this tree, see our guide.

Growing Characteristics

• Uses: Eating fresh, canning, cooking
• Taste: Sweet, juicy, fine-textured clingstone flesh
• Size: Medium – large with a round shape
• Color: Reddish-purple skin
• Type: Japanese
• Hardiness Zones: 5-9
• Harvest period: Midseason
• Pollination: While Santa Rosa is self-pollinating, the crop will improve when you plant it next to another Japanese variety such as the Satsuma.
• Cultivation: This plum tree grows best in full sun with loamy well drained soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. It is very productive however it can be susceptible to bacterial spot. Moreover it grows in a columnar shape.