🍎 Plum Tree
Prunus domestica / P. salicina
fruits deciduous fruit tree
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate; more moisture-tolerant than other stone fruit
🗺️ Zones
4–9
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained loam, tolerates clay better than peach
🧪 Soil pH
5.5–7.0
📏 Spacing
15-20 ft apart (European standard); 12-15 ft (Japanese standard); 10-12 ft (dwarf); 20-25 ft between rows
📅 Days to Maturity
3-6 years (from planting); European plums 3-5, Japanese 3-4 years
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Fruit"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Garlic / Chives
Repel plum curculio and aphids; chives reduce black knot fungal disease incidence when planted in drip line
Orchard understory standard; potassium accumulation; pollinator support
Aphid trap crop; groundcover suppresses weeds
🤝 Clover
Nitrogen fixer; bee forage essential for plum pollination
🤝 Marigold
Nematode suppression; general pest repellent
Predatory insect habitat; mineral accumulator
Attracts beneficial wasps that parasitize plum curculio larvae
Repels plum moth; attracts bees for improved fruit set
⚠️ Keep Apart (4)
⚠️ Other Prunus species (peach, cherry, apricot)
Shared pests — plum curculio, brown rot, black knot cross-infection; increased disease pressure
⚠️ Walnut trees
Juglone sensitivity
⚠️ Nightshades
Verticillium wilt reservoir
⚠️ Cedar / Juniper
Cedar-apple rust alternate host; some rusts affect plums
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains high levels of anthocyanins (in dark plums), neochlorogenic acid, and sorbitol with antioxidant, laxative, and anti-inflammatory properties. Rich in vitamin C and K. Traditional global remedy: fruit (especially dried prunes) for constipation (natural sorbitol laxative); for anemia and iron absorption; prunes clinically studied for bone density (osteoporosis prevention); plum bark used as astringent for sore throat and mouth ulcers. Umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum) used for digestive health and as a food preservative.