Is This a Fruit Tree?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by corsierosie, Jul 4, 2022.

  1. corsierosie

    corsierosie Member

    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Bremerton WA USA
    My mom planted this tree out in our garden at least 10 years ago. It’s never produced any kind of fruit but I know she wouldn’t have planted it without a reason. Like it makes pretty flowers or it makes fruit. But it seems to do neither. My beautiful mom passed away so I can’t ask her. Thanks for any help! The fence posts behind the tree are about 7ft for reference.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,417
    Likes Received:
    501
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    Plum, perhaps. It looks like it's still a bit too young to produce fruit yet, but you probably won't have to wait too much longer now.
     
  3. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

    Messages:
    1,215
    Likes Received:
    375
    Location:
    Estonia
    My guess - Prunus spinosa
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,417
    Likes Received:
    501
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    More like Prunus domestica; the leaves are too large for P. spinosa (and no-one would deliberately plant that, anyway!).
     
  5. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

    Messages:
    1,215
    Likes Received:
    375
    Location:
    Estonia
    1. There is no reference for grasping the size of leaves from the photo. To me they look too small for P. domestica.
    2. AFAIK, there are cultivars of P. spinosa, so at least somebody is planting them. Older people may have special memories with P. spinosa.
    3. Most people would recognise P. domestica, if it is that.
    4. P. domestica, if it is a cultivar, would have produced at least some fruits, if there are other plums nearby.
     
  6. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

    Messages:
    5,987
    Likes Received:
    608
    Location:
    Vancouver BC Canada
    At first I thought the problem was a lack of pollination but then I reread the post. Unless I'm misinterpreting it, the tree has yet to produce any flowers so perhaps this is a seedling.
     
  7. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

    Messages:
    11,417
    Likes Received:
    501
    Location:
    Britain zone 8/9
    Finger and thumb holding the shoot at the bottom left of the first photo. The top right leaf in that photo is I'd estimate in the region of 8-10 cm long. If not Prunus domestica, then P. cerasifera is also an option.
     
  8. Sulev

    Sulev Contributor

    Messages:
    1,215
    Likes Received:
    375
    Location:
    Estonia
    That photo lets a viewer to imagine, how large part of these fingers is visible. Even full hand is a bad reference as size of a hand may vary a lot between different persons.
    But let it be P. domestica (this is probably hybrid of P. spinosa and P. vachuschtii anyways). It's still very strange then why it has never bloomed, during more than 10 years. Any plum cultivar should at least show some flowers during period so long.
     
  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

    Messages:
    21,251
    Likes Received:
    786
    Location:
    WA USA (Z8)
    Regarding plum genetics (and its impact on identification of randomly encountered plants without known background information being available) they cross among themselves in addition to all of the fiddling with them that humans have done.
     

Share This Page