- Mature height
- 3m to 5m (approx.) (can be kept smaller by pruning)
- Mature width
- 2m to 3m
Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa' is a deciduous Japanese plum with an upright, spreading frame. White to pale pink blossom opens in spring before the leaves, drawing bees in numbers. Fruit follows in summer, deep purple red on the outside with amber flesh, fragrant and juicy. Glossy oval leaves fill out the canopy through the growing season.
Full sun and free draining soil give the best crops. It grows quickly, 60 to 90 centimetres a year, and needs winter chill, so cool and temperate districts across southern Australia suit it better than the subtropics. Keep water up while the fruit is sizing. Once established the tree carries moderate dry spells without complaint.
At roughly 3 to 4 metres tall and 2 to 3 metres wide it earns its space in a home orchard, a mixed edible garden or a productive backyard. It is also the standard pollinator for other Japanese plums, so it does double duty in any planting where a second variety is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Santa Rosa Plum
What is a Santa Rosa Plum?
Santa Rosa is a Japanese plum cultivar, Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa', and probably the most widely grown plum in Australian home gardens. It is deciduous, quick growing and upright to spreading, with white to pale pink spring blossom and medium to large fruit that has purple red skin and sweet amber flesh tinged red near the skin.
How big does Santa Rosa Plum grow?
Around 3 to 4 metres tall with a spread of 2 to 3 metres under normal home garden pruning. The habit is upright first and spreading with age, so the canopy widens as the tree settles. Annual pruning keeps it at a comfortable picking height, and allowing 3 to 4 metres between trees gives each one room.
How fast does it grow?
Fast for a fruit tree, roughly 60 to 90 centimetres a year while young and well watered. That vigour means it comes into bearing quickly, often within two to three years of planting, but it also means the framework needs shaping early. Growth slows once the tree begins carrying serious crops.
Is it self fertile?
Santa Rosa is partly self fertile, so a single tree will produce a crop on its own. Yields improve noticeably where a second Japanese plum such as Mariposa or Satsuma flowers at the same time nearby. It is also the variety most often planted specifically to pollinate other Japanese plums, which is worth knowing when planning a small orchard.
When is the fruit ready to pick?
Fruit ripens through summer, most commonly from late December into January, several weeks after the spring blossom has finished. Pick when the skin has coloured fully and the fruit gives slightly to gentle pressure. Plums do not sweeten much after picking, so leaving them on the tree a few extra days makes a clear difference.
Where does it grow best in Australia?
It suits cool and warm temperate districts with a proper winter, which covers Victoria, Tasmania, the New South Wales tablelands and inland areas, South Australia and the south west of Western Australia. It manages in coastal Sydney and Perth gardens with a lighter crop. Tropical and humid subtropical regions lack the winter chill it needs.
How do I prune and care for it?
Prune in late summer or early autumn while the weather is dry to reduce canker risk, opening the centre and shortening vigorous upright shoots. Water deeply through fruit development, mulch each spring and feed with a balanced fertiliser as growth starts. Thin heavy crops to protect the limbs and net the tree once fruit begins to colour.