Santa Rosa Plum

Santa Rosa Plum (Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa')

Santa Rosa Plum is a celebrated Japanese plum valued for richly flavored, aromatic fruit with reddish purple skin and amber to red flesh; vigorous trees with a rounded canopy provide reliable mid to late summer harvests for fresh eating and desserts.

Distinctive Features

Signature Flavor: Juicy, sweet-tart plums with complex fragrance and excellent eating quality; Showy Bloom: White spring flowers lead to heavy crops in full sun when thinned properly.

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: 5 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 mid to late 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: High-quality fresh fruit with versatility for baking and preserves.
• Edible Landscape: Attractive foliage and fruit pair with herb and pollinator borders.
• Small Yard Tree: Manageable size on dwarf or pruned semi-dwarf frames 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 to improve 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: Self-fruitful in many areas but heavier crops with a compatible Japanese plum such as 'Beauty' or 'Burgundy'; thin fruit to 4 to 6 in spacing and monitor for brown rot, plum curculio, and aphids.

Why Choose Santa Rosa Plum?

• Outstanding Flavor: Classic sweet-tart taste with fragrant, juicy flesh.
• Reliable Producer: Consistent crops with proper thinning and sun.
• Home Garden Fit: Adaptable tree size and straightforward training.
• Kitchen Versatility: Excellent fresh, grilled, baked, or preserved.

Plant in full sun with deep, well-drained soil, provide steady moisture during fruit set, and thin and prune regularly for premium, richly flavored plums.