History: As the name suggests, Mount Royal plums originated in the Montreal area where it was either found by French colonizers as a wild chance seedling or intentionally bred by Jesuit missionaries and French colonizers using plums brought over from Europe. Either way, the result is a lovely plum hardy enough to survive Canadian winters.
Why We Grow It: This European plum is a Canadian classic of excellent flavour and good cold-hardiness. The fruit is blue-skinned with jammy yellow flesh that is both sweet and spicy. The tree produces heavy crops.
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 4
Soil Preference: Sandy loam and loam, like plenty or organic material. Prefers average to moist conditions with well-drained soils, avoid planting anywhere that floods for more than two weeks in the spring.
Growth Habits and Disease Resistance: Moderately vigorous and hardy with a spreading growth pattern, produces heavy crops. Somewhat resistant to black knot.
Sun/Shade: Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)
Pollination: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without a European plum tree of a different variety but will produce more and better fruit if one is present
Flowering Time: Middle
Ripens: Late August
Storage: Keeps about a week in the fridge.
Recommended Use: Fresh eating, cooking
Size including roots:
- 1m+ Whip grade: 100cm+
- Branched grade: 100 cm+ with 3 or more branches, 30 cm or more
- <1m Whip grade: less than 100 cm