Methley Plum Tree

About the Methley Plum Tree

Methley Plum trees are known for their ease of growth, abundance of sweet fruit, and the ornamental beauty of the tree itself. Originating in South Africa, Methley Plum was introduced to the United States in 1922. It is a variety of Japanese Plum, prunus salicina ‘Methley.’

The plums are known for their mild, sweet taste, and red to purple colored skin. The flesh is red and juicy. These plums are clingstone, meaning the pit clings to the flesh of the fruit, and the tree is a heavy bearer, producing a high yield of fruit.

The Methley Plum makes a stunning ornamental tree with its showy, white, fragrant blossoms in the early spring. The tree is beautiful in the summer as the red to purple plums develop against the green foliage. In the winter, the graceful shape of the tree is revealed.

Using the Fruit

An abundance of fruit can be produced by a single tree. Home gardeners and homesteaders will enjoy eating the plums fresh or cooking with them. Plums can be made into jam, canned, or dehydrated into prunes.

Plums are good sources of fiber and high in vitamins A, C, and K. The Methley Plum is high in the antioxidants known as anthocyanins due to its dark red coloring.

Growing Methley Plum Trees

These fruit trees need full sun. They are disease resistant to fungal diseases like rust and are heat tolerant. Once established, they are drought tolerant. The plums will ripen in mid-summer, May to July depending upon climate.

Methley Plums produce suckers, which should be cut back when they first make an appearance. They need a short period of winter dormancy, so are a good variety to grow in warmer climates. The tree has a medium growth rate.

It is self-pollinating, but cross pollinating with other Japanese plum trees will result in greater yield. See below for USDA growing zones.

Buy an easy to grow Methley Plum tree and enjoy this beautiful plant and its delicious fruit!