Italian Prune

Italian Prune

15 Gallon
$269.00
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Italian Prune

Italian Prune

Prunus domestica 'Italian'

The Classic Prune Plum for Drying • Firm, Sweet Freestone Flesh • Hardy & Heavy Producer

$269.00
Container sizeSize guide 15 Gallon

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Description

The Italian Prune Plum is the quintessential, time-honored European plum for drying and baking, revered for its perfect balance of sweetness, firm texture, and reliable production. This hardy tree produces an abundance of large, oval, deep purple fruit with rich, sweet yellow flesh that clings tenaciously to the freestone pit. While excellent fresh, its true glory is revealed when dried into succulent prunes or baked into classic tarts and cakes, where its flavor intensifies beautifully. With a graceful, spreading form and good cold tolerance, it's a steadfast and productive choice for the home orchard.

  • The classic European plum for making the finest dried prunes and for exceptional baking.

  • Produces heavy crops of large, oval, freestone fruit with deep purple skin and sweet yellow flesh.

  • Flesh is firm, dense, and less juicy than Japanese plums, concentrating its sweetness.

  • Self-pollinating, but planting with another European plum will increase yield.

  • A hardy, deciduous tree with a naturally spreading, weeping canopy that can be pruned to a manageable size.

  • Ripens in mid to late season, offering fruit for fresh eating and processing over time.

Flavor Profile:

  • Flavor: Richly sweet with a pleasant, balancing tartness.

  • Texture: Very firm, meaty, and dense—ideal for drying and holding shape when baked.

  • Best Uses: The premier plum for drying into prunes. Also superb for fresh eating, plum tarts, jams, and savory dishes.

Quick Facts

Processed facts

  • Mature height: 15-20 ft
  • Mature spread: 12-15 ft

Needs confirmation

  • Features:Foliage: Oval leaves with fine serrated edges, vibrant green color.Flowers: Five-petaled white blossoms in early spring (partially self-fertile but greatly benefits from cross-pollination).Fruit: Large, elongated oval shape with smooth, deep purple skin and golden-yellow flesh.Flavor: Intensely sweet with balanced acidity, firm texture with less juice than other plums
  • Key Advantages:Premium baking plum: Ideal for prunes, preserves, and desserts due to high sugar content and firm flesh.Freestone variety: Pit separates easily from flesh for easy preparation.Late season harvest: Ripens in late summer to early fall (August-September).Excellent drying plum: Traditionally used for making prunes
  • Landscape Uses:Orchard planting.Edible hedgerows.Pollinator gardens (early spring blooms support bees)
  • Care Requirements:Light: Full sun (minimum 6 hours daily).Soil: Adaptable to most well-drained soils.Water: Moderate; drought tolerant once established.Pruning: Annual pruning recommended to maintain shape and productivity
  • Pollination Partners:Plant with other European plum varieties like 'Stanley' or 'Methley' for best yields

Faqs

Q: Can you eat Italian Prune plums fresh?
A: Absolutely! When fully ripe, they are sweet and delicious fresh off the tree. However, their firmer, less juicy texture is specifically prized for cooking and drying without becoming mushy.

Q: Do I need two trees to get fruit?
A: No, it is self-fertile and will produce a crop on its own. However, for a significantly larger harvest, cross-pollination with a different European plum variety (like 'Green Gage' or 'Stanley') is highly recommended.

Q: How do I dry them to make prunes?
A: Harvest when fully ripe, wash, and pit if desired. Halve or dry whole in a food dehydrator or very low oven until leathery but still slightly pliable. Their high sugar and low moisture content make them perfect for this.

📍 Primary Delivery Area · San Francisco Bay Area

Local delivery across the Bay Area — and beyond.

San Francisco Bay Area is our primary local delivery market. Victory Nursery also serves additional California markets and selected extended delivery areas by arrangement.

Regular local delivery: San Francisco, Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, Marin, Tracy / Mountain House and surrounding service areas.

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15 Gallon

15 Gallon

One of the most common larger landscape sizes for trees and shrubs. It offers noticeable height and fullness while still being practical for many residential planting projects.

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Gallon describes the container size, not a guaranteed plant height. Individual plants vary. Contact our nursery for current measurements.

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