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Fruit & Orchards

Growing a tropical plum in Zone 5

9 years ago

My Golden plum tree (a tropical Spondias Purpurea) is thriving and very pretty. I may try to keep it by building a well ventilated and heated small 10Ã¯Â¿Â½ 12 greenhouse. How would I keep the roots from freezing in the cold ground when the temps drop to 20-30 degrees for 3 months? Could I possibly repot it in a 1/2 barrel container? Is keeping this plant possible here, or is it futile? I may call the originating nursery in Oregon and see if I can find out why a tropical plum tree would be grown and distributed in the Pacific northwest. Could the tree be mislabled?

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Comments (4)

fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
9 years ago
You can grow most anything in a big barrel. And keeping it from freezing only requires a good heater in a greenhouse. But I have no idea what environment it would take to produce good fruit.
cyh527
9 years ago
Hi where did you purchase your golden plum tree? i can't seem to find one anywhere.
Weylynn
Original Author
9 years ago
I called the local retailer to find out where the Golden plum was distributed from, since I found on - line it was a tropical plant (Spondias Purpurea). I was told the distributor was Autumn Days Nursery, located in Forest Grove, Oregon. I'll try to send a picture of the tree showing it's label.
Weylynn
Original Author
9 years ago
I called the distributor today ( in Oregon) and found the Gold Plum I purchased was a Shiro Gold Plum and not the tropical variety (Spondias Purpurea) of Gold Plum although the name tag said Ciruelo Dorado and not Shiro. That's good news to me. I still have a Gold plum tree and don't have to build a greenhouse.

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