Santa Rosa Plum Tree

Prunus salicina

Better with a partner

Large, juicy, tangy-sweet Japanese plum.

#7 container
About 1.25" caliper

$88each, pay at pickup

Reserve

Pick up in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March. Pay cash, check, Venmo or PayPal at pickup.

Santa Rosa was bred by Luther Burbank in California in 1906 and is still one of the most popular plums in the world.

The fruit is large, with purplish-red skin and juicy, amber-to-red flesh. The flavor is tart near the skin and sweet in the middle.

Japanese plums bloom early, so plant on higher ground away from frost pockets.

Santa Rosa is one of the plums most prone to bacterial spot, which matters in our humid summers. Plant it in full sun with good air flow.

How it tastes

Tangy-sweet and very juicy. The skin is tart, the amber-red flesh is sweet and aromatic, and the contrast is what makes it famous.

At a glance

You get: #7 container, about 1.25" caliper (trunk thickness 6 inches above the soil; each tree varies a little)
Hardiness zones: USDA 5–9 (Salem County is 7)
Blooms: Early
Ripens: Early to mid July
Starts bearing: Usually 3–4 years after planting
Mature size: About 12–15 ft with regular pruning
Pollination: Better with a partner
Botanical name: Prunus salicina
Price: $88 each, paid at pickup
Pickup: Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March

The fruit

Looks: Large, purplish-red skin, amber to red flesh; clingstone
Flavor: Tart near the skin, sweet in the middle
Best for: Fresh, Jam
Keeps: About a week in the fridge

Pollination

Partly self-fertile, but it bears much better with another Japanese plum nearby. Methley is the ideal partner.

Good partners from our list

Methley Plum Tree$88 · view details

Growing tips

Watch for: Very susceptible to bacterial spot (leaf holes and twig cankers) in humid weather; brown rot

Full sun and well-drained soil.
Thin heavy crops so the fruit is 3–4 inches apart. Plums often set more than the tree can carry.
Watch for black knot (hard black swellings on branches) and cut it out in winter.
Prune in late winter or early summer.

Spray schedule: Plum Spray Schedule for New Jersey Home Orchards (Rutgers Cooperative Extension, fact sheet FS116)

New to planting fruit trees? Read our step-by-step planting guide: square hole, graft above the soil, native soil, and no fruit for the first two years.

Photos show the variety, not the exact plant you’ll get. Reservations are for the 2027 season, picked up at our farm in Pittsgrove, NJ, typically in March, and aren’t guaranteed until we confirm them. Questions? Ask us or call or text (856) 345‑4538.