Leaves & needles
Oval, finely toothed leaves, often softly hairy underneath; narrower at the stalk end.
IntroducedDeciduousTypical height 3–8 m; rootstock dependent
Common plum
Prunus domestica
Includes garden plums, gages and damsons; fruit and growth vary with cultivar.
THROUGH THE YEAR
Common plum through the seasons
Rounded crown; fruit may be green, yellow, red or purple.
Leaves turn yellow; late cultivars can retain fruit.
Bare framework with spur growth and clustered buds.
Typical open-grown form. Leaf fall varies with weather and location; young or clipped trees may retain dead leaves. Pruned, sheltered and young trees can look different.
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
How to identify common plum
Bark
Grey-brown bark, becoming cracked or scaly on older trunks.
Twigs
Brown shoots with alternate buds and short fruiting spurs.
Buds
Small pointed leaf buds and rounder flower buds, often grouped on short spurs.
Flowers & pollen
White, usually five-petalled flowers appear in spring, before or with the leaves.
Fruit, seeds & cones
Smooth-skinned stone fruits vary in colour and size; each contains a single hard stone.
Images show typical features and are not to scale. Confirm several features using the reference sources below.
CARE WITH PURPOSE
Caring for common plum
Help it thrive
Provide sunlight and moist, well-drained soil. Thin an excessive crop to reduce branch strain; maintain water supply while fruit swells.
Pruning advice
Prune established trees lightly in dry summer weather, keeping an open framework and useful fruiting wood. Young-tree training is usually in spring after growth starts. Avoid winter pruning.
When can it be pruned?
Established trees: July; young-tree training: April
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Highlighted months are an indicative window for the work described, not a reason to prune every year. An unshaded month is not an absolute ban.
Timing must suit the tree's health, weather, wildlife and legal protection. Avoid severe frost, drought and vulnerable new leaf growth. Mature trees, major branches and suspected defects need professional assessment.
Tree health: what to watch for
Silver leaf and bacterial canker make timing and dry weather especially important.
Identification & care references
Guide researched November 2026. Identification remains provisional until several features agree. UK native means native in some part of the UK, not necessarily your area.
Before work in England, check tree preservation orders, conservation-area restrictions and wildlife protection. Official tree protection guidance ↗