Family
Rosaceae
Botanical Name
Prunus salicina 'Burbank'
Plant Common Name
Burbank Plum, Japanese Plum
General Description
This heirloom variety of Japanese plum is named for its breeder, the famed Luther Burbank. It is super sweet, juicy, and delicious eaten fresh off the tree, but is equally good for cooking. A small shrubby tree native to China, Japanese plum takes its common name from the country in which it has long been cultivated for its juicy flavorful fruit. Most Japanese plums grown today (including this cultivar) are actually hybrids between Prunus salicina and other plums.
A spreading, semi-dwarf form with spreading branches, 'Burbank' has wide glossy leaves on moderately brittle branches. It produces a cloud of white blossoms in late winter or early spring which may be susceptible to late spring frosts. The fruits ripen in late spring to early summer. They have beautiful, red-mottled yellow skin and deep yellow, semi-freestone flesh with exceptional flavor.
Not self-fertile, ‘Burbank’ requires a Japanese plum pollinator nearby to set fruit. As with other Japanese plums, it prefers full sun and fertile well-drained soil. It also requires adequate winter chill to produce a crop. Natural vigor results in a great deal of rank growth, so water sprouts and suckers must be removed during winter pruning. If not adequately pruned it may have a tendency to overbear and break limbs under the weight of the fruit. Thinning smaller developing green fruits protects the branches and allows the remaining plums to reach a larger size.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
6 - 10
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Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
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Plant Type
Fruit
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun
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Height
10'-15' / 3.0m - 4.6m
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Width
10'-12' / 3.0m - 3.7m
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
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Native To
Hybrid Origin, China
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White
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Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green
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Bark Color
Brown
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
Yes
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
Yes
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Edible Fruit
Yes
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
