Hello.. I live on the Central coast of california. I HAD a really great plum tree which had a deep dark purple skin with a dark purple flesh. This tree was old and the base rotted and about a year ago it died. I would like to get this same plum variety, but now I'm not even sure what variety it was. The leaves on the tree were also a purplish color. Anywhere online have photos of plum tree varieties? I miss it.. any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you... roger
Hi Roger, Not an easy task. Just to give you an idea of the enormity of it, check the following:
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You may get some ideas from this site. If you had known earlier, you could have taken a branch from the dying tree and grafted it to a healthy plum rootstock. If your tree was not grafted originally and you see some suckers coming out of the base of the old tree, you might try and propagate them, but success if questionable. Try your local botanic garden or library for reference books. I use the 'Nut, Fruit, and Berry Inventory Book', but is has no pictures. You may be able to match it up from the text descriptions.
Sherw> Hello.. I live on the Central coast of california. I HAD a really
Near on an impossible task, especially since the tree is now dead. Impossible for anyone in the news group to 'guess' on.
However as most of the cultivated plums in the United States are derived from European and Japanese varieties, you can probably assume it will fall into this category. (great over 300 types to choose from) However, these is also a native American plumb (I have no experience with these type or what they are like)
From the colour you describe it is probably a European variety, as Japanese plums are 1. Usually more pointed in shape and vary in colours from yellow to light red but usually not purplish-blue. (Ok probably narrowed down the selection) and usually require cross pollination. (though from what you state this may have been provided for on a the tree with a double grafting)
But then I just found this one :
HOLLYWOOD Bears large reddish purple plums that ripen in mid-August. Plums are delicious fresh eating, freestone when fully ripe. Excellent for Western Washington. Apparently does not require cross-pollination. Japanese type. (pretty unusual for a Japanese plumb as they usually require cross pollination) Link has picture.
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it, even with a picture of the dead tree, when it was a alive, you have your work cut out for you.
Go buy a new tree and find out what you are buying. (taste test) Get someone to graft more than one type onto the tree so you have 1. Cross pollination/more variety/different blooming/fruiting times.
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