Methley japanese plum trees

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• Picking season: Early
• Self-fertility: Self-fertile
• Flowering group: 1

Methley is a Japanese plum (Prunus salicina), as opposed to the more usual European plums (Prunus domestica).

Methley japanese plum trees for sale

Methley is probably the most suitable of the Japanese-style plums for growing in the UK.

Japanese plums are much more widely grown around the world (including in Europe, but not the UK) and therefore available in supermarkets year-round, so you have probably come across Methley or similar varieties.

Like many Japanese plums, Methley has a dark red flesh. The flavour is milder than most European plums. It ripens in mid-July in southern England.

How to grow

Methley is potentially a heavy cropper. However, it flowers very early in the spring - in early March, which is well before European plum varieties, and this can put the blossom at risk from frosts or bad weather. For this reason it is best grown in a sheltered location with a warm south-facing aspect. The blossom is more abundant than with European varieties, and this adds some ornamental interest.

Methley is considered self-fertile, although in UK conditions it may only be partially self-fertile. It can cross-pollinate with other early-flowering cherry-plum varieties such as Countess.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Although generally considered a Japanese-style plum, Methley is actually a hybrid of Prunus salicina (the Japanese plum) and Prunus cerasifera (the cherry plum). It was found in the 1920s in South Africa.

Methley characteristics