Prunus ‘Alderman’ – Japanese-American Hybrid Plum – 5-Gallon

In the northern midwest and into Canada, popular Japanese plums (P. salicina) are not sufficiently cold-hardy. Breeders there crossed those plums with American plum (P. americana) and Canada plum (P. nigra), very cold-hardy native species, to create varieties that thrive down to at least zone 4. This makes them a good choice for higher elevations of the Catskills. ‘Alderman’, from the University of Minnesota, is precocious, bearing fruit as early as one year after planting. The flesh, which is bright golden-yellow, is notably sweeter than other hybrid varieties, juicy, and moderately soft. Clingstone fruit and requires pollination – use another hybrid or American plum in cold areas; a Japanese plum variety will work in zone 5 or warmer.