Prunus salicina var. mandshurica - Flowering Tree - Chinese Plum Page

* Prunus salicina ( syn. Prunus triflora or Prunus thibetica , also called Chinese plum or Japanese plum ) is a small deciduous tree native to China , and now also grown in Korea , Japan , the United States , and Australia . It grows up to 10 m tall, and has reddish-brown shoots. The leaves are 6-12 cm long and 2.5-5 cm broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in early spring, 2 cm diameter with five white petals. The fruit is a drupe 4-7 cm in diameter with yellow-pink flesh, it can be harvested in the summer. When fully ripe it can be eaten raw. more...

* Thrives in a well-drained moisture-retentive loamy soil. Prefers some lime in the soil but is likely to become chlorotic if too much lime is present. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though it fruits better in a sunny position. A very frost resistant plant when dormant, tolerating temperatures down to about -27°c. This species is resistant to extreme cold and is cultivated in N China as a frost hardy fruit tree. This species is probably no more than a variety or sub-species of P. salicina. Another report says that this species is crossed with P. salicina to produce commercial varieties. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged. more...