Alderman Japanese Plum

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

15-20 Feet

Mature Spread

15-20 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 8

Alderman Japanese Plum is the cold-hardy plum for growers who want big, burgundy-red fruit even after tough winters. This Minnesota-bred tree can mature around 15–20 feet tall and 15–20 feet wide, and loads up with large plums that cut open to golden, sweet flesh. The flavor runs sweeter than many Japanese-style plums while staying firm and juicy. We’ve had the best luck planting it with a pollinator nearby, because yields are much better.

Alderman Japanese Plum Care

Plant in early spring while the tree is dormant, spacing trees about 15–20 feet apart for airflow, which helps reduce disease pressure in humid summers. Give it full sun, loamy well-drained soil, and a soil pH around 6.0–7.0. Keep a mulch ring to steady moisture without piling mulch against the trunk. Prune in early spring or early summer on a dry day to thin crossing branches and keep light moving through the canopy, and skip winter pruning on plums.

Growing Alderman Japanese Plum

Alderman is a Japanese-type hybrid (Prunus salicina crossed with P. americana) bred for cold climates, and it can bear surprisingly early, sometimes as soon as the first year after planting under good conditions. Ripening is usually late August, with harvest often landing about 110–130 days after bloom depending on heat and location. It needs roughly 800 chill hours for consistent flowering and fruiting. This variety is not self-fertile, so plant another compatible Japanese, native, or hybrid plum within about 100 feet for pollination, since European plums won’t do the job.

Growing Alderman Japanese Plum in Containers

This is naturally a larger tree, so containers are best as a short-term solution while the tree is young. Use a 25–30 gallon pot with fast drainage, refresh the mix each spring, and be prepared to root-prune and repot every couple of years to keep growth steady. For container companions, tuck in basil plants and oregano around the base for a sunny, summer pot combination. Landscape trees mix well with allium and black-eyed Susans to bring pollinators through during bloom season.

Watering Alderman Japanese Plum

Water deeply at planting and keep the root zone evenly moist through the first season. Shift to deep soakings during dry spells once established. Curling leaves during heat or small fruit drop is your cue to lengthen soak time and check that the soil is draining between waterings.

Feeding Alderman Japanese Plum

Feed in early spring with a balanced fruit-tree fertilizer as buds begin to swell, and follow with one lighter feeding after fruit set if growth looks weak. Avoid heavy nitrogen later in summer since it can push soft growth and reduce how well the tree prepares for winter.

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