Plums Cultivars
& Pollination Guide
Compare European and Japanese plum pollination pools, flowering groups and orchard decisions before laying out a block.
Plum Pollination Pools & Frost Risk
Plum bloom groups run from 1 to 5. A useful partner flowers in the same or adjacent group and belongs to the same pollination pool. European plums, gages and damsons are Pool A; Japanese plums and prairie hybrids are Pool B. A tree from one pool cannot pollinate the other.
Victoria, Opal, Stanley and many damsons set fruit with their own pollen. A same-pool companion with overlapping bloom can still improve set where spring weather limits insect flight.
Cambridge Gage, Green Gage, Jefferson and President need a compatible Pool A companion. Documented gage clone groups can be mutually infertile even when blossom dates match.
Japanese plums generally need another Pool B cultivar. Methley sets alone and donates pollen widely; Santa Rosa can set some fruit alone in warm conditions but benefits from a partner. Pool A trees do not serve as donors.
Plum flowers before apple and pear; Japanese plums often flower especially early. Frost pockets and cold weather during bee flight can defeat a sound pollinizer layout. Check slope, drainage and local bloom conditions before planting.
Curated Plum Cultivar Guides (18)
Explore 18 curated pomological profiles and cross-pollination compatibility guides for plum cultivars.
Victoria European Plum
Plum CultivarVictoria plum pollination, Pool A partners, Group 3 bloom and crop-load management for a dual-purpose European plum.
Opal European Plum
Plum CultivarOpal plum pollination guide: self-fertile Pool A status, Group 3 bloom, Victoria partnership and dessert-fruit management.
Stanley European Prune Plum
Plum CultivarStanley prune plum pollination, self-fertile Pool A status, Group 3 bloom and orchard considerations for drying fruit.
Italian Prune (Fellenberg) European Plum
Plum CultivarItalian Prune Fellenberg pollination guide: self-fertile Pool A bloom, drying use and rootstock decisions.
Mirabelle de Nancy European Plum
Plum CultivarMirabelle de Nancy pollination guide: self-fertile Pool A status, corrected Group 4 bloom and preserving use.
Shropshire Prune Damson
Plum CultivarShropshire damson pollination, self-fertile Pool A status, corrected Group 4 bloom and culinary orchard use.
Cambridge Gage European Plum
Plum CultivarCambridge Gage pollination guide: Pool A, corrected Group 4 bloom, required partner and gage orchard management.
Green Gage (Reine Claude Verte) European Plum
Plum CultivarGreen Gage pollination: Pool A partner requirement, corrected Group 4 bloom and the Cambridge Gage incompatibility.
Jefferson European Plum
Plum CultivarJefferson European plum pollination guide: corrected Group 2 bloom, Pool A donors and documented incompatibility group.
President European Plum
Plum CultivarPresident plum pollination guide: Group 4 Pool A partner requirement, viable pollen and late dessert or culinary cropping.
French Prune (d'Agen) European Plum
Plum CultivarFrench Prune d'Agen pollination guide: self-fertile Pool A bloom, drying-block design and cultivar identity cautions.
Blue Damson Plum
Plum CultivarBlue Damson pollination guide: self-fertile Pool A status, Group 3 bloom and planning for small culinary fruit.
Methley Hybrid Plum
Plum CultivarMethley plum pollination guide: self-fertile Pool B status, early Group 2 bloom and Japanese plum donor use.
Santa Rosa Japanese Plum
Plum CultivarSanta Rosa Japanese plum pollination: Pool B, Group 2 bloom, partial set in warm climates and partner planning.
Shiro Japanese Plum
Plum CultivarShiro Japanese plum pollination guide: cross-required Pool B status, Group 2 bloom and Methley or Santa Rosa partners.
Satsuma Japanese Plum
Plum CultivarSatsuma Japanese plum pollination guide: Pool B Group 3 bloom, required donor and blood-red fruit management.
Burbank Japanese Plum
Plum CultivarBurbank Japanese plum pollination guide: cross-required Pool B, Group 2 bloom and early donor choices.
Toka Hybrid Plum
Plum CultivarToka hybrid plum pollination: Pool B Group 2 bloom, reliable pollen donation and its own partner requirement.
Check Another Plum Cultivar
Use the checker to compare same-pool partners and bloom overlap for plums beyond these curated guides.
Model Your Plum Block in Our Free Tools
Check supported pollination pairings for this crop, or plan block spacing and a nursery tree order for crops covered by the layout tool.
Fruit Tree Pollination Checker
Select a supported plum cultivar to see compatible partners, flowering overlap, and ruled-out crosses.
Commercial Orchard Layout Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, equipment clearances at full canopy, and establishment costs.