Luisa Plum

Luisa Plum (Prunus salicina 'Luisa') is a Japanese type plum with low chill needs, which is what puts a decent crop within reach of gardens that never get a hard winter. Left alone it makes a tree of about 4.5m tall and 3.5m wide, though most growers hold it near 3m so the fruit stays pickable from the ground. White blossom covers the bare branches in late winter, the crop follows in summer, and the foliage colours before it drops.

Why you'll love it

• Low chill, so it fruits where European plums sulk. It sets crop in warm temperate and subtropical gardens as well as cool ones, which widens the map considerably.
• Three seasons of interest. Blossom in late winter, fruit through summer, then autumn colour on the way out. Bare winter branches let sun back onto the garden.
• It fits a suburban block. About 4.5m by 3.5m untrimmed, and easily held at 3m with one prune a year.
• Good for the garden, not just the kitchen. The blossom is heavily worked by bees and butterflies at a time when very little else is open.

Where it works best

Backyard orchards and small gardens. Allow 4m between trees, or 3m if you are pruning to an open vase each winter. Full sun on all sides gives the most even ripening.

Feature and light shade. The blossom earns it a spot near the house, and the summer canopy shades a seat or lawn before opening up again for winter.

Paired with a pollinator. Luisa is not reliably self fertile. Plant another Japanese plum such as Santa Rosa or Mariposa within about 15m and the difference in crop is obvious.

Growing Luisa Plum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours minimum, in warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean or subtropical gardens. It is frost hardy, so cold southern winters are no obstacle, and it handles heat and wind well once established.

Soil. Deep, well drained soil with compost worked through a wide planting hole. It will not accept waterlogging, so mound the bed on clay. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, and keep water up while the fruit is swelling or you get small plums. Feed a complete fertiliser in late winter and again after harvest.

Pruning. Prune in late winter to an open vase of four or five main limbs, which lets light into the centre and keeps the tree at a pickable height. Thin the young fruit to roughly 8cm apart for larger, better flavoured plums.

What to expect when it arrives

This tree is supplied in a 100L pot, which is advanced stock: a real trunk, a formed framework and enough root volume to crop early. Because it is deciduous, a winter or early spring delivery may arrive bare of leaves, which is normal.

The pot is heavy, so arrange help and dig the hole before it lands. Delivered Australia wide, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full fruit tree range, including pollination partners.
• Read about planting fruit trees for every season.
• Start with our beginner's guide to pruning.

Common questions

Do I need a second plum tree?

For a full crop, yes. Luisa needs a compatible Japanese plum nearby, with Santa Rosa and Mariposa the usual choices. Without one you may still get scattered fruit, but nothing like a proper harvest.

How soon will it fruit?

An advanced 100L tree is often carrying fruit within its first or second season after planting, provided a pollinator is nearby. Expect the crop to build over the following few years.

Can I keep it under 3m?

Easily. Prune it to an open vase every winter and shorten the leaders. Keeping it low makes netting against birds and fruit fly far simpler.