How to Grow Plums USA

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Plum (Prunus domestica)
  2. Quick Facts
  3. At a Glance
  4. Diseases
  5. Pests
  6. Soil & Growing Conditions
  7. Growth Stages
  8. Harvest & Storage
  9. Plan your Plums planting
  10. Growing Plum in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

Plums are propagated by grafting rather than grown from seed — seed-grown stones won't produce a tree true to the parent variety — and are best planted in a full-sun, sheltered site with good drainage. NC State Extension rates plum hardy across USDA Zones 4-9, and notes it's the latest-blooming of the commonly grown Prunus fruits, an advantage where late spring frosts threaten earlier-blooming stone fruit.

The short answer

Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–6.5
Biggest risk
Blossom wilt

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Plum (Prunus domestica)

A bowl of freshly picked plums — “2015-365-207 Plums! Plums! (20042200642)” by cogdogblog is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

3 sources cited · Verified

Quick Facts

A bowl of freshly picked plums
A bowl of freshly picked plums. Photo: “2015-365-207 Plums! Plums! (20042200642)” by cogdogblog, CC BY 2.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 6.5
Sunlight 6-8 hours direct sun
Soil texture Loam or sand, or organically rich soil (RHS; NC State Extension)
Drainage Moist but well-drained or well-drained; good drainage (RHS; NC State Extension)
Lifecycle Deciduous tree, 5-10 years to full maturity (RHS)
Edible parts fruit
Documented problems 7 diseases, 9 pests

At a Glance

Dried plums, known as alu bokhara
Dried plums, known as alu bokhara. Photo by ferdous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Prunus domestica Plum Blossom wilt Silver leaf Bacterial canker (Prunu… Brown rot (apple) Powdery mildew Peach leaf curl Honey fungus Plum curculio American plum borer Plum aphid European fruit tree red… Webworms Bullfinches Brown scale Codling moth Plum moth DISEASES PESTS

Diseases

Blossom wilt
moderate

Monilinia laxa

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Silver leaf
moderate

Chondrostereum purpureum

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Bacterial canker (Prunus)
moderate

Pseudomonas syringae pv. morsprunorum

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Brown rot (apple)
low

Monilinia fructigena

Shared with the already-published apple and pear -- named directly by RHS or NC State Extension for plum too.

Shared with the already-published apple and pear -- named directly by RHS or NC State Extension for plum too.

Peach leaf curl
moderate

Taphrina deformans

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Honey fungus
low

Armillaria spp.

Shared with the already-published apple and pear -- named directly by RHS or NC State Extension for plum too.

Pests

Plum curculio
moderate

Conotrachelus nenuphar

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

American plum borer
moderate

Euzophera semifuneralis

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Plum aphid
moderate

Brachycaudus helichrysi

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

European fruit tree red spider mite
low

Panonychus ulmi

RHS names fruit tree red spider mite as a pest risk.

Webworms
moderate

Hyphantria cunea (fall webworm) and related species

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Bullfinches
moderate

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Brown scale
moderate

Parthenolecanium corni

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Codling moth
moderate

Cydia pomonella

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Plum moth
moderate

Cydia funebrana

Named directly on the crop's own growing-guide sources.

Soil & Growing Conditions

A plum tree in full spring blossom
A plum tree in full spring blossom. Photo by Juanggiovan, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Soil pH range

6 6.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

White plum blossom of the Mont-Royal cultivar
White plum blossom of the Mont-Royal cultivar. Photo by Maxime Laterreur, CC BY 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Planting and establishment 0 Propagate by chip budding or grafting -- fruit stones will not produce a parent-identical tree (RHS). Plant in a sunny, sheltered spot with good drainage.
Vegetative growth 3 Reaches fruiting maturity in 5-10 years (RHS), faster than apple or pear.
Blossom and pollination 6 White blossom appears in spring before the leaves emerge -- the latest-blooming of the commonly grown Prunus fruits, which suits colder climates (NC State Extension).
Harvest 8 Fruit matures late summer to early autumn, around September (RHS; NC State Extension), eaten fresh, cooked, or dried as prunes.

Harvest & Storage

Green-blue plums ripening on the branch
Green-blue plums ripening on the branch. Photo by Kuba Korn, CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: Fruit matures late summer to early autumn (RHS) or around September (NC State Extension), when the drupes turn their full golden, greenish-yellow, blue or black colour depending on variety.

Plan your Plums planting

When to sow and plant Plums depends on your own frost dates. Check the USA vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Plum in another region

Planting dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

  1. Full sun (6+ hrs). Soil high in organic matter, good drainage, moist conditions. USDA zones 4a-9b. Height/width 10-20ft. Propagate by grafting, root cutting or seed. White blossom in spring before leaves; fruit (blue/black drupes, 2-3in) matures in September, eaten fresh, cooked, or dried as prunes. Pests: codling moth (primary), webworms, mites, borers, plum curculio, American plum borer. Diseases: viral, fungal and bacterial diseases generally; powdery mildew, rusts, brown rot. Latest-blooming of the Prunus fruits, making it well suited to northern climates. Fruit/foliage reported toxic to dogs, horses and cats.

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 3 sources behind this guide (North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Plants For A Future (PFAF), Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to plums; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

What soil pH do plums need?

A pH of about 6–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect plums?

Our data links 7 diseases and 9 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.

Get the USA Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — planting windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides USA

Crops With the Same Problems

  • Shares Plum aphid with Damson.
  • Shares Bullfinches with Pear.
  • Shares European fruit tree red spider mite with Almond and Apple.
  • Shares Brown scale with Grape.

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Last verified 2026-09-03

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