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Santa Rosa Plum

$11995 $19995
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Your Plants are Guaranteed to Grow

Your plants are guaranteed to arrive happy & healthy with our 1 Year Warranty. Your order will arrive healthy and stay healthy while they adapt to your climate. If your tree arrives damaged or dies within 30 days, we'll replace it for free. If it dies after 30 days, but before 1 year, we will replace it for just 50% of the current price.

Free Shipping on All Orders

Relax... we've got you covered with free shipping on every order! We ship out so many huge plants, we've negotiated a low rate with our carriers... and we pass those savings on to you! Your plants will ship out the next business day... expertly packed so that your plants will arrive happy and healthy!

Is Now a Good Time to Plant?

Yes! Fall is one of the best times to plant!

Landscaping experts often recommend planting in fall instead of waiting until spring. Here’s why:

  • Cooler weather puts less stress on newly planted trees and shrubs.
  • Fall soil is still warm, which helps roots grow and get established.
  • Cooler temperatures mean less water is lost through the leaves, making it easier for plants to stay hydrated.
  • Even after top growth slows for winter, roots continue developing below ground.
  • Fall weather often brings more rain and less heat, making new plants easier to care for.
  • By spring, your plants already have a head start. Their established roots can support strong new leaves, branches, and flowers.
  • Trees planted in spring must establish their roots while also dealing with rising temperatures and summer heat.

Plant this fall, and your trees can spend the cooler months getting settled instead of waiting until spring to get started!

Planting your Santa Rosa Plum

Planting Instructions for Santa Rosa Plum

  1. Choosing the Right Location: Plant Santa Rosa in full sun in USDA zones 5 through 9 for the best flowering, growth and fruit. Its moderate chill requirement of about 400 hours suits many regions with mild to moderate winters. Late frosts can affect early blooms, so avoid low frost pockets.
  2. Soil Preparation: Plant in fertile, well-drained soil where water does not stay around the roots. Mix compost into a wide area. If a test hole filled with water is slow to drain, choose a higher spot or build a slightly raised bed before planting.
  3. Planting: Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep, and set the tree so the graft union stays above the soil. Unpruned, it can reach 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, but regular pruning keeps it much smaller; allow roughly 15 to 20 feet between pruned trees. It ships as a 4 to 5 foot tree.
  4. Mulching and First Watering: Water deeply after planting and spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch in a wide ring, keeping it away from the trunk.

Care Instructions

  1. Watering: Water regularly while it is becoming established. Once established, water deeply during long dry periods, especially while fruit develops. Water at the base of the plant, ideally in the morning, so the foliage stays dry, and check the soil a few inches down before watering again.
  2. Fertilizing: Feed in early spring with a fruit tree fertilizer. Fertile soil and steady moisture help young trees begin bearing. Water before and after feeding and follow the label rate, since too much fertilizer can burn roots and cause weak, floppy growth.
  3. Pest and Disease Monitoring: Watch for aphids on new growth, plum curculio on young fruit and brown rot on ripening plums. Clean up fallen fruit and thin crowded fruit to improve airflow.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

  1. Pruning: Prune in late winter while dormant, or lightly in summer after harvest. Remove dead, crossing and crowded branches to open the center for sunlight and airflow.
  2. Fruit Thinning: Thin young fruit in spring so the remaining plums grow larger, leaving several inches between fruits. Thinning also reduces branch breakage from heavy crops and helps the tree bear more evenly from year to year.
  3. Winter Care: Young trees benefit from a trunk guard against rodents and sunscald. Cover blossoms with frost cloth if a late frost threatens.

Additional Tips for Growing Santa Rosa Plum

  1. Pollination: Santa Rosa can produce fruit on its own, but another compatible plum nearby improves pollination and leads to a heavier harvest.
  2. Years to Fruit: Young trees often begin producing around 3 to 4 years after planting. Full sun, steady watering and light annual pruning help a young tree reach bearing age sooner, and harvests grow as the canopy fills out.
  3. Harvest: Plums ripen in summer. Pick when fully dark crimson, slightly soft and easy to pull from the branch. Extra fruit freezes well. It cannot ship to WA, OR, LA, ID, CA, AZ or AR.
What Customers say about the Santa Rosa Plum:

The Santa Rosa Plum thrives in Zones 5-9

Growing Zones for the Santa Rosa Plum

If you live in the green area above, we recommend the Santa Rosa Plum.

Your Growing Zone
Recommended Zones 5-9
Mature Height 20-30 ft.
Mature Width 20-30 ft.
Cannot Ship To WA, OR, LA, ID, CA, AZ, AR
Sunlight Full Sun
Botanical Name Prunus salicina 'Santa Rosa'

Plants that Make a Difference

For 20+ years, our team has shipped healthy, established plants to gardeners like you- all across the country. Every plant is selected and cared for by our plant experts before it ships to your door.

  • 20+ Years Experience

  • Superior Quality

  • Free Shipping on All Orders

  • Guaranteed to Grow

Beware- not all Santa Rosa Plum Trees are the same.

Be sure to get superior fruit trees, grown by experts.

Better Roots Make Stronger Plants: Some nurseries send you "bare root" fruit trees to save on shipping. Even worse, others have started digging them right out of the ground before shipping. This causes major transplant shock and long-term damage. We send you Santa Rosa Plum Trees in soil-filled containers- ensuring a well-developed root system that is ready to grow and produce!

Healthy Plants: We've seen other nurseries grow tall fruit trees in tiny pots to save on shipping. This leads to a "root bound" tree, where the roots have outgrown their pot- they cannot absorb water and nutrients. They quickly dry out during shipment, leading to an unhealthy tree.

The Santa Rosa Plum has been a home orchard favorite for generations- fragrant spring blooms followed by sweet, juicy summer plums.

  • Sweet, juicy plums with dark crimson skin and rich flavor with a touch of tartness
  • Beautiful spring flowers: fragrant white blooms cover the branches before the fruit forms
  • Fruits on its own- add a second compatible plum nearby for an even bigger harvest
  • Needs only about 400 chill hours, so it grows well in zones 5-9

Not all plants are created equal

The Difference Is in the Roots

Every plant we ship has grown in a nursery container with its roots protected, so it arrives healthy, established and ready to thrive in your yard.

A full, branched Nationwide Plants tree in a nursery pot next to a thin bare-root tree with exposed roots Ours: container grown Theirs: bare root
Nationwide Plants Other Nurseries
How it's grown Grown in a nursery container, roots protected the whole time Pulled or dug from the field, tearing fragile roots
How it arrives Arrives in its pot with soil intact Arrives bare root, exposed and drying out
Before shipping Growing naturally until it ships Held dormant in a cooler, then shocked by a hot shipping box
Root health Strong, well-developed roots with room to grow Crammed into a small pot until it's root bound
Height Measured from the top of the soil Often includes the pot and roots
After planting Settles in quickly with less transplant shock Arrives stressed and can take years to recover, if it does

The height you see is the height you plant.

We measure every plant from the top of the soil, not the bottom of the pot. Many nurseries include the pot and roots, so a "5–6 ft." tree from them might stand only 4 ft. tall once it's planted.

Comparisons reflect common practices across the online plant industry, not any single company.

Honest Measurements: Some nurseries measure trees including the pot and roots, so their "4-5 ft." tree may only be about half that size when planted. We measure all of our plants from the soil line, so the height you see is what you can expect after planting.

From our nursery to your door

How We Ship Your Plants

Every order is hand-selected, watered and carefully packed so it arrives healthy and ready to plant. Here's what happens after you place your order.

  1. Hand-Picked for You

    Our team selects the best plant available for your order. For privacy trees, that's the tallest and fullest. For fruit trees, it's the best branched.

    Why it matters: Many online nurseries ship whatever is next in the row.

  2. A Deep Drink Before the Trip

    Every plant gets a thorough watering right before it's packed, so it starts the journey fully hydrated.

  3. Roots Sealed In

    We wrap the pot and roots in plastic to lock in moisture, so your plant has water to drink all the way to your door.

    Why it matters: Bare-root plants are often shipped with their roots exposed and drying out.

  4. Braced for the Ride

    Cardboard inserts are secured inside every box to hold your plant in place, so it won't slide, tip or get damaged in transit.

  5. Shipped Only by FedEx

    We ship your trees exclusively with FedEx. We've found they deliver the fastest and handle live plants the most gently.

And if anything goes wrong, every plant is backed by our 1 Year Warranty.

Healthy Roots Make a Huge Difference

  • Never buy bare-root plants. These trees are starved of nutrients, and have a low survival rate.
  • Beware of nurseries cut corners by growing in small pots. These "rootbound" plants are weak, struggle to absorb nutrients, and die quickly after planting.
  • Some nurseries try to sell oversized plants, but chop off vital roots so they can cram the rootball into a narrow box to save on shipping!

You Want Santa Rosa Plum Trees Grown by Experts

Some nurseries ship thin, underdeveloped fruit trees grown in tiny pots to save money. These weak, "root bound" trees can spend years recovering before they give you a real harvest.

Nationwide Plants only sends you strong Santa Rosa Plum Trees, selected and cared for by our plant experts, with healthy, developed roots. A strong start helps your tree settle in quickly and begin bearing fruit, often around 3-4 years after planting.

Read more about the Santa Rosa Plum

Santa Rosa Plum Tree: Sweet Summer Fruit and Beautiful Spring Blooms

Grow delicious fruit and enjoy a beautiful spring display with the Santa Rosa Plum Tree. This popular fruit tree produces fragrant white flowers in spring, followed by dark crimson plums with firm, juicy flesh and rich flavor.

Santa Rosa Plums are excellent for fresh eating, baking, jams, and preserves. The tree also adds seasonal beauty to the landscape, making it a great choice for home orchards, garden borders, and sunny backyard spaces.

Why You'll Love the Santa Rosa Plum Tree

Sweet, Juicy Plums: Santa Rosa produces flavorful dark red fruit with firm, juicy flesh.

Beautiful Spring Flowers: Fragrant white blooms cover the branches in spring before the fruit begins to form.

Great for Fresh Eating: Enjoy ripe plums right from the tree for a sweet and juicy summer snack.

Perfect for Baking and Preserving: Use the fruit in pies, desserts, jams, jellies, and homemade preserves.

Attractive Landscape Tree: Santa Rosa Plum adds flowers, fruit, and seasonal interest to gardens and home landscapes.

Better Harvests With Cross-Pollination: Planting another compatible plum nearby can help increase fruit production.

What Do Santa Rosa Plums Taste Like?

Santa Rosa Plums are known for their rich, sweet flavor with a pleasant touch of tartness. The flesh is firm, juicy, and full of classic plum flavor.

The dark crimson skin surrounds flavorful fruit that is perfect for eating fresh or using in your favorite recipes.

Beautiful White Flowers in Spring

Before the fruit arrives, the Santa Rosa Plum Tree puts on a beautiful spring show. Fragrant white flowers cover the branches and bring fresh color to the landscape.

These spring blooms make the tree attractive enough to use as both a fruit tree and an ornamental garden accent.

When Does the Santa Rosa Plum Tree Produce Fruit?

After flowering in spring, small plums begin developing along the branches. The fruit grows and ripens during the warmer months, giving you a summer plum harvest.

Harvest the fruit when it develops its full dark red color and begins to soften slightly for the best flavor.

Does Santa Rosa Plum Need a Pollinator?

Santa Rosa Plum can produce fruit on its own, but planting another compatible plum tree nearby can improve pollination and lead to a heavier harvest.

If you have room for more than one plum tree, adding a second compatible variety is a great way to support stronger fruit production.

How to Use Santa Rosa Plums

Fresh Eating: Enjoy ripe fruit straight from the tree for a sweet summer snack.

Baking: Use Santa Rosa Plums in pies, crisps, cakes, and other desserts.

Jams and Preserves: Their rich flavor makes them a great choice for homemade jam and jelly.

Sauces: Cook the fruit into sweet or savory sauces for meals and desserts.

Freezing: Save part of your harvest to enjoy later in the year.

Where to Plant a Santa Rosa Plum Tree

Home Orchards: Add Santa Rosa Plum to a sunny fruit tree collection for reliable summer harvests.

Backyard Gardens: Use it as both a fruit tree and a beautiful seasonal focal point.

Garden Borders: Plant it where its spring flowers and summer fruit can add color and interest.

Edible Landscapes: Combine it with berries, herbs, and other fruit trees for a landscape that looks good and produces food.

Santa Rosa Plum Tree Sun and Soil Needs

Sunlight: Plant your Santa Rosa Plum Tree in full sun for the best flowering, growth, and fruit production.

Soil: Choose fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid areas where water stays around the roots for long periods.

Watering: Water regularly while the tree is becoming established. Once established, provide deep watering during long dry periods, especially while fruit is developing.

About Santa Rosa Plum Chill Hours

Santa Rosa Plum has a recommended chill requirement of about 400 chill hours. Chill hours are the number of cool winter hours the tree needs to help support normal flowering and fruit production.

This moderate chill requirement makes Santa Rosa a good choice for many areas with mild to moderate winters.

Seasonal Beauty From Spring Through Harvest

Santa Rosa Plum offers more than delicious fruit. White flowers brighten the tree in spring, green foliage fills out the branches through summer, and dark crimson plums add rich color as harvest time approaches.

This mix of flowers and fruit makes it a useful choice for gardeners who want both beauty and fresh homegrown food.

A Classic Plum Tree for Home Gardens

If you want a fruit tree with fragrant spring flowers, sweet summer plums, rich flavor, and beautiful seasonal interest, the Santa Rosa Plum Tree is an excellent choice.

Plant a Santa Rosa Plum Tree and enjoy beautiful spring blooms followed by baskets of sweet, juicy homegrown plums for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Santa Rosa Plum

Is Santa Rosa Plum self-pollinating?

Santa Rosa Plum can produce fruit on its own, but planting another compatible plum nearby improves pollination and leads to a heavier harvest. If you have room for two plum trees, adding a second compatible variety is a great way to support stronger fruit production.

How many chill hours does Santa Rosa Plum need?

Santa Rosa Plum has a recommended chill requirement of about 400 chill hours. Chill hours are the cool winter hours a tree needs to flower and fruit normally. That moderate requirement makes Santa Rosa a good choice for many areas with mild to moderate winters.

When do Santa Rosa Plums ripen?

Santa Rosa Plums ripen in summer after the tree's white spring flowers fade. Harvest the fruit when it develops its full dark crimson color and begins to soften slightly for the best flavor. Ripe plums pull easily from the branch.

How big does a Santa Rosa Plum Tree get?

A Santa Rosa Plum Tree can reach about 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide if left unpruned. Regular pruning keeps it much smaller and makes harvesting easier, so it fits well in home orchards and backyard gardens with a sunny spot.

What zones does Santa Rosa Plum grow in?

Santa Rosa Plum grows in USDA zones 5 through 9. Its moderate chill requirement of about 400 hours suits many regions with mild to moderate winters. Plant it in full sun for the best flowering, growth, and fruit production. Late frosts can affect early blooms.

How long until a Santa Rosa Plum Tree bears fruit?

A young Santa Rosa Plum Tree often begins producing fruit around 3 to 4 years after planting, depending on tree size and growing conditions. Full sun, fertile soil, and deep watering while fruit develops help it start bearing and produce larger harvests as it matures.

What do Santa Rosa Plums taste like?

Santa Rosa Plums have a rich, sweet flavor with a pleasant touch of tartness. The firm, juicy flesh sits inside dark crimson skin. They are excellent for fresh eating and also great in pies, crisps, jams, jellies, and sauces. Extra fruit freezes well.

How do you prune a Santa Rosa Plum Tree?

Prune a Santa Rosa Plum Tree in late winter while it is dormant, or lightly in summer after harvest. Remove dead, crossing, and crowded branches to open the center for sunlight and airflow. Thinning young fruit in spring helps the remaining plums grow larger.

How often should I water a Santa Rosa Plum Tree?

Water a Santa Rosa Plum Tree regularly while it is becoming established. Once established, give it deep watering during long dry periods, especially while fruit is developing. Plant it in fertile, well-drained soil where water does not stay around the roots.

Which states can Santa Rosa Plum not ship to?

The Santa Rosa Plum Tree cannot be shipped to WA, OR, LA, ID, CA, AZ, or AR due to state plant regulations. Gardeners in those states should choose a fruit tree permitted where they live. Customers in all other states can order it as a 4 to 5 foot tree.
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