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Item Number: FT206

Laroda Plum Tree

Laroda Plum Tree

Juicy plums with complex flavor.

Laroda plum trees are prized for their medium-sized fruit with vibrant purple skin and sweet-tart, golden-yellow flesh. These plums are juicy and flavorful, making them ideal for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. Laroda is a mid-to-late season variety that thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. The tree requires a pollinator, such as Methley or Santa Rosa, for abundant harvests. With its bold flavor, beautiful appearance, and versatility, Laroda is a fantastic choice for gardeners seeking unique and high-quality plums.

Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock.

The Laroda Plum Tree stands as a pinnacle of flavor and suitability for warmer climates, offering sweet, juicy plums with a remarkable wine-like essence. Delve into the nuances of growing and nurturing this tree to enjoy a bountiful harvest of exceptional plums.

  • Growing Zones: Ideal for zones 6-9.
  • Chill Requirements: Needs about 400-500 chill hours for fruiting.
  • Bloom Time: Late February to Early March
  • Harvesting Dates: Generally harvested from July to August.
  • Looks: The Laroda Plum has dark purple skin with red and amber flesh.
  • Personality: Known for its excellent flavor, being juicy with an extraordinary wine-like taste.
  • Facts of Note: Considered one of the best-tasting Japanese plums. Originated from a Santa Rosa x Gaviota cross, with a firm texture and high sweetness balanced with acidity. Often used for making jams, jellies, and fresh eating.
  • Pollinator: Pollinated by Santa Rosa, Nubiana, Late Santa Rosa, or Burgundy plum varieties.
  • Ideal Soil Temperatures: Thrives in temperatures around 60°F to 80°F (15°C to 27°C).
  • Planting Depths: Plant young trees at the same depth they were growing in the nursery container.
  • Germination Periods: Typically grown from grafted trees rather than seeds. Germination isn't applicable.
  • Height at Maturity: Grows to a height of around 15-20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters).
  • Days to Maturity: Starts producing fruit in about 2-3 years, with full maturity achieved in 5-7 years.
  • Sun/Shade: Laroda Plums prefer full sun for optimal fruit production.
  • Spacing After Thinning: Proper spacing is crucial; maintain a spacing of about 4-6 inches apart for healthy growth.

Best Suited for Warm Climates: 

Thriving in Zones 6-9, the Laroda Plum Tree flourishes in full sun conditions. Its semi-dwarf nature on Citation rootstock makes it an ideal choice for smaller spaces or home gardens.

Chill Hours and Harvest Time: 

Requiring around 400-500 chill hours, this tree blooms and bears fruit from July to August. Its appearance is characterized by dark purple skin enveloping red and amber flesh, offering a delightful visual and flavorful treat.

Extraordinary Flavor Profile: 

Renowned for its exceptional flavor, Laroda plums are considered among the best-tasting Japanese plums. Originating from a cross by Dr. Claron O. Hesse, it boasts a wine-like essence that pairs high sweetness with a balanced acidity, delivering an unparalleled taste.

Origin and Characteristics: 

Developed as a Santa Rosa x Gaviota cross in 1943 and introduced in 1954, Laroda inherits its dark skin from Santa Rosa with amber flesh adorned by red streaks. Its texture leans toward firmness, elevating its suitability for fresh consumption, jams, and jellies.

Cultivation and Growth: 

The tree exhibits tight, upright growth patterns, making it an excellent choice for smaller spaces or home gardens. Its manageable size, coupled with proper pruning techniques, allows for easy maintenance and control, especially when kept below 10 feet through summer pruning.

Pollination Requirements: 

To ensure optimal fruit set, the Laroda Plum Tree requires suitable pollinators such as Santa Rosa, Nubiana, Late Santa Rosa, or Burgundy. Planting these compatible varieties nearby promotes cross-pollination and enhances fruit production.

Versatility in Use: 

Laroda plums are versatile, ideal for both fresh eating and culinary purposes. Their exceptional flavor makes them a delightful choice for jams, jellies, and other culinary creations.

 

Cultivating a Laroda Plum Tree requires attention to its preferred growing conditions, ensuring full sun exposure and proper pollination. With its exceptional flavor and adaptability to warm climates, this tree stands as an excellent choice for home gardeners seeking delectable, sweet, and juicy plums.

 

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

Check Your Zone Compatibility:

Description

Laroda plum trees are prized for their medium-sized fruit with vibrant purple skin and sweet-tart, golden-yellow flesh. These plums are juicy and flavorful, making them ideal for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. Laroda is a mid-to-late season variety that thrives in full sun and well-draining soil. The tree requires a pollinator, such as Methley or Santa Rosa, for abundant harvests. With its bold flavor, beautiful appearance, and versatility, Laroda is a fantastic choice for gardeners seeking unique and high-quality plums.

Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock.

The Laroda Plum Tree stands as a pinnacle of flavor and suitability for warmer climates, offering sweet, juicy plums with a remarkable wine-like essence. Delve into the nuances of growing and nurturing this tree to enjoy a bountiful harvest of exceptional plums.

  • Growing Zones: Ideal for zones 6-9.
  • Chill Requirements: Needs about 400-500 chill hours for fruiting.
  • Bloom Time: Late February to Early March
  • Harvesting Dates: Generally harvested from July to August.
  • Looks: The Laroda Plum has dark purple skin with red and amber flesh.
  • Personality: Known for its excellent flavor, being juicy with an extraordinary wine-like taste.
  • Facts of Note: Considered one of the best-tasting Japanese plums. Originated from a Santa Rosa x Gaviota cross, with a firm texture and high sweetness balanced with acidity. Often used for making jams, jellies, and fresh eating.
  • Pollinator: Pollinated by Santa Rosa, Nubiana, Late Santa Rosa, or Burgundy plum varieties.
  • Ideal Soil Temperatures: Thrives in temperatures around 60°F to 80°F (15°C to 27°C).
  • Planting Depths: Plant young trees at the same depth they were growing in the nursery container.
  • Germination Periods: Typically grown from grafted trees rather than seeds. Germination isn't applicable.
  • Height at Maturity: Grows to a height of around 15-20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters).
  • Days to Maturity: Starts producing fruit in about 2-3 years, with full maturity achieved in 5-7 years.
  • Sun/Shade: Laroda Plums prefer full sun for optimal fruit production.
  • Spacing After Thinning: Proper spacing is crucial; maintain a spacing of about 4-6 inches apart for healthy growth.

Best Suited for Warm Climates: 

Thriving in Zones 6-9, the Laroda Plum Tree flourishes in full sun conditions. Its semi-dwarf nature on Citation rootstock makes it an ideal choice for smaller spaces or home gardens.

Chill Hours and Harvest Time: 

Requiring around 400-500 chill hours, this tree blooms and bears fruit from July to August. Its appearance is characterized by dark purple skin enveloping red and amber flesh, offering a delightful visual and flavorful treat.

Extraordinary Flavor Profile: 

Renowned for its exceptional flavor, Laroda plums are considered among the best-tasting Japanese plums. Originating from a cross by Dr. Claron O. Hesse, it boasts a wine-like essence that pairs high sweetness with a balanced acidity, delivering an unparalleled taste.

Origin and Characteristics: 

Developed as a Santa Rosa x Gaviota cross in 1943 and introduced in 1954, Laroda inherits its dark skin from Santa Rosa with amber flesh adorned by red streaks. Its texture leans toward firmness, elevating its suitability for fresh consumption, jams, and jellies.

Cultivation and Growth: 

The tree exhibits tight, upright growth patterns, making it an excellent choice for smaller spaces or home gardens. Its manageable size, coupled with proper pruning techniques, allows for easy maintenance and control, especially when kept below 10 feet through summer pruning.

Pollination Requirements: 

To ensure optimal fruit set, the Laroda Plum Tree requires suitable pollinators such as Santa Rosa, Nubiana, Late Santa Rosa, or Burgundy. Planting these compatible varieties nearby promotes cross-pollination and enhances fruit production.

Versatility in Use: 

Laroda plums are versatile, ideal for both fresh eating and culinary purposes. Their exceptional flavor makes them a delightful choice for jams, jellies, and other culinary creations.

 

Cultivating a Laroda Plum Tree requires attention to its preferred growing conditions, ensuring full sun exposure and proper pollination. With its exceptional flavor and adaptability to warm climates, this tree stands as an excellent choice for home gardeners seeking delectable, sweet, and juicy plums.

 

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
  • Flavor Pick
  • Suited to Warmer Climates

Characteristics

USDA Growing Zone: 6 - 9
Approximate Harvest Time : Late Summer
Chill Hours Needed : 400-500 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.

View full details

Customer Reviews

Based on 5 reviews
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B
Brian B.
Excellent!

Third summer in the ground and it is 10 ft. tall and produced it's first crop of 30+ medium to large plums. Firm texture and excellent flavor. They will get soft and sweeter if allowed to sit on the counter. I live in zone 8b in the Mojave desert.

D
Debbie Williams
Blooms but No Fruit

I bought a Late Santa Rosa and Laroda four years ago. So the trees should now be about six years old. The trees are planted about 5 feet apart in a row of plums, cheeries, peaches, and nectarines. The blooms opened in March in Zone 7B (Northern Alabama) where I live. There was a frost coming after the blooms opened so I covered the tree with a winter frost blanket for 1 or 2 days. The blooms seemed to be fine after the blanket was removed. However, I don't see a single plum on either tree now that the blossoms have fallen off. I do have some small nectarines and peaches so I don't think the frost killed the blossoms. If anyone has ideas on why I don't have any fruit, I would love to hear that. My neighbor had plums on their plum tree last year and they only have one tree. There are bubble bees, honey bees and some other types of small bees that gather pollen and nectar in my garden. Last year I fertilized the trees with Dr. Earth Fruit Tree Fertilizer. I did not put down any fertilizer this year because the trees grew too tall last year and I had to prune off the tops twice.

L
Lee
A really great plum

I bought this plum about 6 or 7 years ago and unfortunately, I moved before I was able to harvest a large crop. However, I took some scion wood with me and grafted over a flowering plum at my new home and I have been harvesting large crops of these beauties ever since. The good feature of this besides the great taste and texture is the fact that the harvest season is long---about 5-6 weeks, unlike Santa Rosa which is perhaps 10 days. Hence a great plum for the home gardener.

S
Sheri
Laroda s is the best tasting plum

We have the Laroda and a Santa Rosa tree in the Lodi, CA area. The Laroda is the better tasting of the two and always ripens about 2 weeks before the Santa Rosa. Odd because the description says it follows the Santa Rosa. Great to eat fresh and we dry these plums as well. We have had no issues with this tree - use no chemicals at all, the tree is 15 years old and we have had no issues at all. We thin and we get huge plums.

H
Hollyhok
Plum Jam

Very happy and excited to have a healthy tree delivered to me. The graft is well healed and the primary roots left on the stock were impressive. I planted the tree two weeks ago and have leaf buds pushing out already. Extremely happy with this purchase this far.

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