Bruce Plum

Bruce Plum (Prunus domestica 'Bruce')

Bruce Plum is an early-ripening dessert plum valued for reliable crops of red-skinned fruit with juicy, sweet-tart flesh; a vigorous, rounded tree that performs well in warm-summer climates and home orchards.

Distinctive Features

Showy white spring bloom leads to medium to large plums that color red with amber to red-tinged flesh; early harvest and good eating quality make it a favorite for fresh use and preserves.

Growing Conditions

• Sun Exposure: Full sun for strongest bloom, sugar, and color.
• Soil: Deep, well-drained loam enriched with organic matter; avoid waterlogged sites.
• Water: Keep evenly moist from bloom through fruit swell; reduce slightly after harvest.
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9.
• Mature Size: About 12 to 15 ft tall and wide on semi-dwarf; 8 to 12 ft on dwarf rootstocks.
• Bloom Time: Spring; fruit ripens early to mid summer depending on climate.
• Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral, about 6.0 to 7.0.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Spring blossom and colorful fruit create a seasonal centerpiece.
• Home Orchard: Dependable early harvest for fresh eating, baking, and jam.
• Edible Landscape: Attractive canopy pairs with herbs and pollinator plantings.
• Small Yard Tree: Manageable size on dwarf or pruned semi-dwarf fits patios and lawns.

Low Maintenance Care

• Watering: Deeply soak when the top 1 to 2 in are dry; increase frequency during heat and fruit swell.
• Pruning: Train to open center; winter prune to renew fruiting wood and summer thin watersprouts for light and airflow.
• Fertilizing: Feed in early spring with a balanced fruit tree fertilizer based on soil test; avoid excess nitrogen that softens fruit.
• Mulching: Apply 2 to 3 in organic mulch, keeping it a few inches from the trunk to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
• Notes: Not self-fruitful; plant with a compatible plum pollinizer such as Santa Rosa or Methley for best crops, thin fruit to 4 to 6 in spacing, and monitor for brown rot and plum curculio.

Why Choose Bruce Plum?

• Early Harvest: Enjoy ripe plums ahead of many midseason varieties.
• Rich Flavor: Juicy, sweet-tart flesh for fresh use and preserves.
• Home Garden Fit: Manageable tree size with straightforward training.
• Reliable Producer: Consistent yields in warm-summer regions with a pollinizer.

Plant in full sun with deep, well-drained soil, pair with a pollinizer, and thin and prune regularly for abundant, high-quality early plums.