Do you like plums and apricots? How about both of them at the same time? The plumcot tree is a cross-breed between an apricot and a plum tree. It grows fruits that have all the best features of both plums and apricots. The Flavorella plumcot tree is prized for its attractive, medium-sized fruit and the sweet and fragrant nature of the Flavorella plumcot it grows.
The size and color of the fruit also make it look amazing on a plate for dessert. If a pretty, delicious and nutritious fruit sounds good to you, find out more about these amazing trees and the fruit they produce.
History of the Flavorella Plumcot / Flavorella Plumcot Tree
The plumcot was developed by horticulturist and botanist Luther Burbank in the late 19th century. Since that time, different varieties of plumcot have been introduced to the market. Burbank is considered one of agricultural science’s pioneers for mixing a plum and an apricot with 50 percent of each for a balanced hybrid.
The flavorella plumcot tree was then developed by Floyd Zaiger who called the taste a creative one that was in between the plum and the apricot, and its fans agree!
Flavorella Plumcot Tree / Flavorella Plumcot Characteristics
The fruit of the flavorella plumcot tree is medium-sized- it’s about the same size as an average plum. However, it doesn’t look like a plum from the outside. These fruits have a firm texture that is also juicy, and it is highly prized for both its look and smell.
The skin is a golden yellow, and it’s a clingstone fruit, so the flesh clings to the central pit. The smell of the flavorella plumcot is noticeable and resembles that of the Santa Rosa plum. The skin has some tartness, and that goes perfectly with the ultra-sweet flesh inside. It’s a true mixture of the best aspects of the flavors of both plums and apricots. The tree blooms in early March, and the fruit ripen in early June.
Planting Zones
The flavorella plumcot tree does best in warmer climates that still have winters that can get cold. They are grown across the Southeastern U.S. as well as along the entire Western coast. They’re generally hardy in zones five through nine with some viability in parts of zone 10.
In the coldest of these areas, the tree needs an area that gets a lot of air circulation. If they are planted in low-lying spots in the colder zones, the air can be trapped around them and create too cold of a temperature.
Size and Spacing
The flavorella plumcot tree is a diminutive one that will reach a height of up to 10′ to 18′ in height. The mature trees have a spread of up to 15′ to 18′ wide. There are several ways to plant groups of flavorella plumcot trees. One way is a slightly modern method, with planting them at 20′ feet apart, counting from the center of each tree.
Another way is to plant them about 5′ apart from the center of each one. With this method, the canopies of each of the trees will grow together to create more privacy or shade. If you find that your tree is getting too large, you can prune the tips of the tree in the summer to keep its height and width under better control.
Pollination
This plumcot tree does not self-pollinate, so it has to have a pollinator. Planting another plumcot, or a plum tree, nearby will help it to cross pollinate. For a pollination partner to be effective, it should bloom at the same time as your flavorella plumcot tree, from May through June.
Flavorella Plumcot Tree Care
Sunlight
In general, the flavorella plumcot tree should be planted in full sun, though they can tolerate some shade. They should be planted in soil that has excellent drainage so that the tree’s roots won’t be sitting in standing water.
Once you have the tree planted, be sure that the soil around the tree is even with the soil that surrounds it. To make sure, you will need to press the soil down to get rid of any pockets of air.
Watering
After you have planted it, provide it with a deep watering that is done slowly. The water must make it down to the ends of the roots to get the tree established. As the water settles into the soil, the soil may form a depression that needs to be filled in with more soil.
Fertilizing
In the early spring, you can fertilize your flavorella plumcot tree to help it through the growing season. Spread about a half of a pound of fertilizer over the area where the roots are buried. Using 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 will feed your tree well. The tree can also be sprayed with a zinc foliar spray once a year.
Pruning
It isn’t necessary to prune your flavorella plumcot to get it to bloom or fruit, but it can help to make the fruit better and to leave the tree susceptible to fewer diseases. The ideal pruning starts when the tree is young. At this stage, you can limit the number of the tree’s main branches from the middle stem to just five or six.
This number of branches is actually more than are needed by your tree, but with this number you can always remove a branch or two if there is a problem when your tree gets older.
Be sure to keep the tree even by spacing our the branches evenly around it. The branches should be 6″ or more apart. No matter what time of the year it is, you should always remove branches that are weak, become diseased or get broken.
You should also remove a branch if there are two branches that cross each other and rub together. If a branch grows straight upward instead at goring out and away from the central stem, that branch should be removed as well.
You will likely want to do some routine pruning each year, and this should be done in the very early spring before the flower buds have opened. This can help you to shape the tree and to prevent it from getting too large.
When the fruit starts coming in, you may want to thin out the fruit in some areas where it is growing in larger numbers so that the branches don’t break from the weight of the mature fruits. After thinning out fruit, the fruit that remains will taste better and will grow to be larger than if it was overcrowded. Even after being thinned out you can expect to harvest about 50 pounds of the flavorella plumcot fruit.
Read more about Pruning Plum Trees and Pruning Apricot Trees.
Diseases & Care
These fruit trees are susceptible to a few diseases and can be attacked by pests as well. They can attract aphids, and there are plenty of pesticides that will kill these pests, or you can treat it with a cup of ladybugs from a garden shop or home improvement store. The trunk and the branches can develop bacterial canker.
This disease causes a yellow-orange sap leaking from the tree. This disease can be eradicated by spraying copper or lime-sulfur in the early spring and the fall. If the tree doesn’t get good airflow, the fruit can develop brown rot from the lack of air circulation. This can also happen to trees planted in wet areas.
Common Uses For The Flavorella Plumcot
These sweet fruits are often eaten fresh but can also be used in interesting jams and in other recipes. They will store well because of their firm flesh, so you can keep them for adding to cakes, puddings or tarts. You can also dehydrate them for some fun dried fruit snacks.
They go well in fruit salads and when presented by themselves as a dessert. You can even purée them and freeze that purée so that it can be added to smoothies throughout the year. It also works very well in artisan jams and can be used in a sweet dipping sauce for poultry.
The fruit itself is highly sweet with a touch of tartness in the skin and the area around the pit. It is often used in desserts and breakfast items for this sweetness.
Check Out These Recipes on Minneopa Orchards:
Health Benefits of the Flavorella Plumcot
Flavorella plumcots are very low in calories and have plenty of dietary fiber. Just one of these fruits provides 10% of the vitamin C you need daily and 6% of your vitamin A. It is full of antioxidants, which help fight aging by getting rid of free radicals. Its fiber can help with bowel health, and its high fiber content can be helpful to those with diabetes.
Where to Buy the Flavorella Plumcot Tree?
Nature Hills sells this fruit tree as well as other types of plumcots. There are also some of them for sale through Amazon.
Where to Buy the Flavorella Plumcot Fruit
The flavorella plumcot doesn’t transport well, so it’s rare to see them in supermarkets, especially outside of the growing area. Your best bet will likely be a farmers’ market. You can also try specialty grocery stores that pride themselves on having a wide variety of fruits.
Excited for more plum content? Then check out our plum trees page for the latest growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!