Family
Rosaceae
Botanical Name
PRUNUS 'Toka'
Plant Common Name
Plum, Toka Plum
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
A robust and productive plum tree perfect for both ornamental and fruit use, 'Toka' bears pretty white springtime flowers followed by sweet but spicy red fruits in late summer. A hybrid small deciduous tree, it was developed by the South Dakota Experimental Station in 1911. It abundantly produces pollen as well, making it a great tree for pollination of other plum cultivars in an orchard.
Flowering with pale silvery-blue to white blossoms in early spring prior to new leaves emerging, 'Toka' is very ornamental. Pollinated by bees, the blossoms will ripen by the latter half of midsummer to reddish bronze fruits with a sweet but spicy flesh that is light golden yellow. It is considered a freestone plum. In autumn the tapering oval leaves can attain blushes of bronze and orange.
Grow the upright-shaped Toka plum in full to partial sun in any fertile, well-draining but moist soil that is not overly alkaline in pH. Tolerant of cold and drought, it will look healthier if protected from prolonged, intense dryness. Already a heavy flowering and self-pollinating fruit tree, increased fruit crops are guaranteed with more than one 'Toka' in a clustered orchard grove. Use it as either an ornamental lawn tree or designated fruit tree in an edible garden.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
8 - 2
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USDA Hardiness Zone
3 - 7
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Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
10'-13' / 3.0m - 4.0m
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Width
10'-12' / 3.0m - 3.7m
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Bloom Time
Spring
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Drought
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
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Habit
Upright/Erect
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
