Like their peach cousins, plum cultivars can be either freestone or clingstone. Perhaps since they originated in so many places, they vary widely in size, shape, color, and flavor. They are broken into three main categories: Japanese, European, and American.
Japanese plums (Prunus salicina) produce the fruit that is most often sold in grocery stores. Their fruit is often round and juicy, and they come in a variety of flesh and skin colors. Japanese plums grown at Marcum’s Nursery include ‘Burgundy,’ ‘Santa Rosa’ and ‘Late Santa Rosa,’ ‘Burbank,’ and ‘Methley’ to name a few.
European plums (Prunus domestica) are the most widely planted since much of the commercial European plum production is used to make dried plums (or prunes). ‘Stanley’ is a European plum grown at Marcum’s Nursery, and we have plans to add another European cultivar, ‘Blue Damson’ next season.