Which plum tree should I choose for my garden in Los Angeles?

I need to know which type of plum tree will bear fruit in this temperate area. The garden has predominately clay soil. It never goes below freezing here.

Which plum tree should I choose for my garden in Los Angeles?
You can grow any plum you want to in Cali, and it "will" grow as the above poster states, but you won't get any fruit if you don't plant the right variety. All deciduous fruit trees require a "chill period" that has been genetically embedded into each variety. Since you are in SoCal, you need to find a variety that requires a low chill period somewhere around 250 hrs. and one that is "self" fruiting (not needing a pollinator) as well as quick ripening before the summer heat comes. Iam giving you a link below, that better explains this "chill" period with info on a few self-fruiting varieties and their growing habits. Scroll down to the plum section.These varieties do well in the low desert of Arizona and will also do well in your locale. Hope this answers your question and helps you out somewhat. Take Care...

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1269...



**Billy Ray**
Reply:I live in the LA area and have 4 different Plum varieties growing in my yard. Here are the basics on Plums:

- You probably want a "Japanese Variety" if you want to eat them raw, vs. making Prunes or canning (European Plums is the other variety)



- The main issue is getting a plum that is self-pollinating, as well as one that can handle our mild winters (less chill hours). Santa Rosa is the classic self-pollinator, and will also pollinate almost any other variety if you have room to plant 2 plums.



- You can put 2 trees in the same hole if you're starting with bare-root trees. Just make the planting hole wider, face the trees away from each other, and prune off the branches in the middle.



- Other very good varieties for our area are: Beauty, Elephant Heart (big, juicy, red inside!), Weeping Santa Rosa, and Satsuma.



If you start with one of the Santa Rosa varieties you can plant any 2nd type that you want. I did this both for different flavors and different ripening times, so I have plums longer each summer. Best of luck!
Reply:Any type of plum tree you want to grow will grow in L.A. If you want large purple plums, try Santa Rosa. If you want smaller plums, I recommend a red Cherry Plum. It has beautiful bright red leaves, does very well in smog areas, and produces cherry sized bright red plums.