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Fruit EdibleTrees

Prunus domestica 'Opal' (D)

plum 'Opal'

'Opal' is a reliably fruiting, dessert gage to 2.5-4m in height depending upon the rootstock. Flowers white in early spring, green fruits in early August

Synonyms

Prunus 'Opal'

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Suitable for all training forms. Keep a weed-free area of at least 60cm radius around trunk. Thin fruits if necessary. Irrigate in dry periods. Flowers early, so at risk from spring frosts

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting onto a clonal rootstock. The rootstock used with largely determine the vigour of the tree

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
City and courtyard gardens
Edible fruit
Wall side borders

Pruning

Regular pruning required according to tree form - see pruning plums and fan-trained trees: pruning established fans

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, fruit tree red spider mite, brown scale, plum moth and bullfinches

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus

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