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Item Number: FT210

French Improved Prune Tree

French Improved Prune Tree

Classic plums for versatile use.

The French Improved European Plum Tree is a versatile and productive semi-dwarf variety, producing sweet, firm plums with deep purple skin and golden flesh. These medium-sized plums are perfect for fresh eating, drying into prunes, or using in baked goods and preserves. Thriving in full sun and well-draining soil, this tree requires moderate chill hours and benefits from a pollinator, such as Santa Rosa or Blue Damson, for enhanced yields. Known for its consistent production and exceptional fruit quality, this semi-dwarf tree is a great choice for small gardens and home orchards. In spring, it blooms with delicate white flowers, adding beauty to its practicality. The French Improved European Plum Tree is an excellent addition for gardeners seeking a reliable and flavorful plum variety.

Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock.

  • Zones: 5-9
  • Chill hours: 700-800
  • Harvest: August-September
  • Looks: Egg-shaped plum with thick red to purple-black skin and amber-gold flesh.
  • Personality: Very sweet flavor making it excellent for dessert, canning, and drying.
  • Facts of note: The Improved French has a dark reddish-purple skin and dark amber flesh that is super sweet. The Improved French is California's leading commercial prune. It makes scrumptious desserts and also can be canned or dried to enjoy year-round. Considered by many to be one of the best for drying of the European Plums. Rich in flavor and high in antioxidants. Described often as a super food.
  • Pollination: Self-fruitful.

Visit our Fruit Tree Central for a listing of all our fruit tree videos and articles.

Visit Tree Characteristics for a listing of all our fruit & nut tree growing characteristics.

Available to Ship After: 1/17/2025. Order today to reserve yours!
$59.99
Satisfaction guaranteed shipping

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Description

The French Improved European Plum Tree is a versatile and productive semi-dwarf variety, producing sweet, firm plums with deep purple skin and golden flesh. These medium-sized plums are perfect for fresh eating, drying into prunes, or using in baked goods and preserves. Thriving in full sun and well-draining soil, this tree requires moderate chill hours and benefits from a pollinator, such as Santa Rosa or Blue Damson, for enhanced yields. Known for its consistent production and exceptional fruit quality, this semi-dwarf tree is a great choice for small gardens and home orchards. In spring, it blooms with delicate white flowers, adding beauty to its practicality. The French Improved European Plum Tree is an excellent addition for gardeners seeking a reliable and flavorful plum variety.

Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock.

  • Zones: 5-9
  • Chill hours: 700-800
  • Harvest: August-September
  • Looks: Egg-shaped plum with thick red to purple-black skin and amber-gold flesh.
  • Personality: Very sweet flavor making it excellent for dessert, canning, and drying.
  • Facts of note: The Improved French has a dark reddish-purple skin and dark amber flesh that is super sweet. The Improved French is California's leading commercial prune. It makes scrumptious desserts and also can be canned or dried to enjoy year-round. Considered by many to be one of the best for drying of the European Plums. Rich in flavor and high in antioxidants. Described often as a super food.
  • Pollination: Self-fruitful.

Visit our Fruit Tree Central for a listing of all our fruit tree videos and articles.

Visit Tree Characteristics for a listing of all our fruit & nut tree growing characteristics.

About Plums: Plums are not generally self-pollinated and can be tricky to grow in areas with late frosts but are superb for fresh eating. They are the favored fresh eating varieties in the United states being larger, firmer fleshed, and rounder than European plums. Japanese plum trees have rougher bark, more persistent spurs, and more numerous flowers than European plums. They are also more precocious, disease resistant, and vigorous than European plums. Japanese plum flavor ranges from sweet to tart. Browse all our plum trees for sale.

Please Note: Although most of our bare-root trees arrive to our warehouse in mid-December, there are a few varieties that will not arrive until mid-January. If you order any of those varieties along with varieties that arrive in mid-December, your order will be delayed for shipment until mid-January. If you'd like us to split your shipments, please contact us at (888) 784-1722 or orderdesk@groworganic.com. Additional shipping charges will apply.

Shipping Information

Ships from Northern CA.

Cannot ship to the following states: HI, AK, PR, GU, VI

Shipping Weight: 5.0 lb

Dimensions: 47.5"L x 7.3"W x 2.75"H

Features

  • Bare Root
  • Self-fruitful
  • Suited to Cold Climates

Characteristics

USDA Growing Zone: 6 - 9
Approximate Harvest Time : Late Summer
Chill Hours Needed : 700-800 hours
Planting Time : Winter
Time to Fruit Production : 3 Years
Tree Size : Semi-dwarf

Planting & Care

Useful Information

Guarantee

Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee

* Claim deadline is June 15th

We guarantee that your dormant tree or plant will arrive in good, viable condition. If your tree arrives in substandard condition, notify us within 3 days of delivery. Please email pictures of the box, inside packaging, the tree and its roots to helpdesk@groworganic.com.  We will investigate your claim and process a request to exchange or refund the damaged product.

If your dormant tree or plant has not grown new leaves by June 15th, you may be eligible for our Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee. This guarantee provides for a store credit for the purchase price of the tree, excluding shipping. Please see the Instructions below.

Important Dates:

  • April 1st Dormant trees/plants must be planted in the ground
  • May 15th Perform scratch test, if no new leaves have grown
  • June 15th Deadline to apply for a dormant tree/plant credit

All required documentation must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. Claims or documentation received after June 15th will be denied, without exception. Instructions listed below

Terms and Conditions

We cannot guarantee that your tree or plant will remain alive and healthy after it is received, or bear fruit as there are too many variables in your environment that are beyond our control (i.e. soil preparation, weed and pest control, proper irrigation, chill hours, compatible hardiness for your growing zone, proper choice of pollinator, extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, etc.). 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a replacement tree/plant of the same species either that same growing season or in future years. Customers are responsible for all shipping fees associated with replacement trees and plants. 

If we determine that the tree you purchased directly from us is not viable, we will issue you a store credit (not a refund) for the purchase price of the affected dormant tree or plant. Shipping is not included in the dormant tree/plant guarantee. Store credits can be used to purchase any product we sell and are valid for use only until July 1st of the following year.

Historically, 98% of our dormant trees and plants grow and thrive when they have been cared for and planted using our growing guides. Dormant trees and plants must be planted in the ground by April 1st in order to be eligible for credit. If the ground in your area is still frozen solid, you may temporarily plant your tree or plant in a pot. 

Potted, non-dormant trees or plants are excluded from this guarantee as they are not dormant at the time of shipment. Evergreen trees such as citrus, avocado and olive trees are not available for credit under the Dormant Tree and Plant Guarantee. 

Instructions

We guarantee that your dormant fruit tree or plant will leaf out, if you care for it according to our growing guides. In the unlikely event that your dormant tree or plant does not have leaves by May 15th, follow these simple steps to apply for a store credit:

Before you call or email, please perform a “scratch test” to determine if the tree or plant is still alive. This video shows how to check for live tissue under the bark. Scratch tests need to be done a few inches above and below the graft. 

Green Cambium Layer / Living Trees

If the cambium layer under the bark is green, give your tree a little more time. It is still alive, but hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. Check to make sure that it is getting the right amount of deep root water, enough sunlight and that the weather is warm enough for that type of tree/plant to come out of dormancy. Every tree has its own personality and will come out of dormancy at different times. Be sure to submit the required documentation listed below by June 15th, if it doesn’t grow leaves.

Brown Cambium Layer / Dead Trees

If the scratch test shows a brown cambium layer or if your dormant tree/plant doesn’t have leaves by June 1st, please email us at helpdesk@groworganic.com. All required documentation listed below must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. To be considered for the guarantee claim, all required documentation must be received by June 15th.  Incomplete submissions will be denied.

Required Documentation

  1. Order number
  2. Name of dormant tree/plant and the quantity affected
  3. Photos of each tree or plant showing: 
    1. The roots (tree or plant must be pulled out of the ground)
    2. The scratch test areas
    3. The entire tree/plant

We reserve the right to not issue credit for items that have already been replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence that the tree/plant was not killed by root rot, rodent or mechanical damage.

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Customer Reviews

Based on 7 reviews
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R
Robert Carabas
French Improved Prune

I bought a Stella Cherry, Green Gage, Emerald Beauty Plum, and a French Prune. They arrived well packaged and all in good condition. These plants were well developed plants with excellent roots systems. The Emerald Beauty had a strong roots ball and began to show sign of growth within a week. All stood about 36 inches tall,I cut back all the trees hoping to get the best first year root grown and now, a month since I planted them all have growth at the buds. So far I'm a happy gardener.

S
Sam
So far so good

Shipped well, looked good upon arrival. Put the tree in the ground a couple weeks ago. Should be coming out of dormancy soon, I have high hopes.

C
Cicely
Arrived healthy and on time

Arrived healthy, on time, well packaged. Planted and awaiting future harvests! :)

A
Andrew
High quality

This is a great bare root tree. It has a thick, well developed trunk and a good set of roots. The package came with the roots wrapped in wood shavings and was still moist. I’ve had the tree planted for a little over a week and it has started pushing buds out. I’ve bought other bare root trees from over places and none have been this good! I will be buying more trees from here.

S
Sharron
Great-looking trees!

This is my third attempt at growing plums. This is the first time I have ordered trees from Grow Organic, and these are the best-looking trees I've seen. The plum tree was in the ground within a week of arrival--perhaps 3rd time lucky!

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