If I'm not mistaken, insufficient chill hours would be problematic in other ways beyond fruiting. You probably hit the nail on the head about pollination though. Pretty sure Ume needs cross-pollination, although other plums and/or apricots might work too. Finally, the majority of Ume are ornamental, and not for fruit production anyway...

I had thought ume plums, being basically an apricot, were self fertile. Edible landscape only sells 1 variety, implying its self fertile. Raintree says they're partially self fertile. But I can't find much information online about ume's so I'm not sure.

I'm getting my first ume's this year on a tree in its 4'th leaf. Another 4 year old, and a 5 year old, are not fruiting. I had always blamed the late January blooming followed by hard freeze's in feb. each tree has blossomed in their second year. Perhaps they take 4-5 years?

I guess to answer your question---I don't know.

Thanks for the answers. I looked up the chill hours, and they should be sufficient. I may go ahead and graft some cross-polinators onto my friend's tree next winter.

My wife does macrobiotics, and ferments her own umeboshi. We are still living off ume she pickled more than a decade ago, but supply is low. So we are eager to get some ume scion.

If any of y'all have scion to spare next winter... I'll probably get some from my friend, but I don't have the greatest confidence in the origins of the tree...

Sure.

fwiw, there was a poster 3-4 years ago; "Yama" in GA; who said all his umes came from the single white flower ume's. He said to stay away from the double pink flowers.

My ume's are on the single white flower tree.

fwiw, there was a poster 3-4 years ago; "Yama" in GA; who said all his umes came from the single white flower ume's. He said to stay away from the double pink flowers.

My ume's are on the single white flower tree.

Will an apricot work to cross-fertilize? Or does it need another ume?

I don't know. But any of my apricots don't bloom until March, well after the ume's are done blooming (late Jan to mid Feb). So I'll send you wood from 2 ume types.

yay! :-D

I'll be in touch early next winter.