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Empress plum tree

Prunus domestica 'Empress'

  • Gardening skill: Average
  • Picking season: Very late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 5

Empress is a very late season European plum, notable for its rich sweet flavor.

The dark blue / purple plums are usually ready to pick in mid-September, but will hang on the tree for much longer if allowed to. They can be kept fresh in a fridge for several weeks, which is also much longer than most European plums.

The green/yellow flesh is quite dry, which makes it excellent for use in the kitchen. The stone is semi-clinging.

Empress european plums for sale

You can pre-order now for spring 2025

  • 1Semi-dwarf 1-year bare-root tree $40.95
    Mature height: 8ft-12ft after 10 years
    Krymsk 1 rootstock
  • 2Full-size 1-year bare-root tree $40.95
    Mature height: 16ft-24ft after 10 years
    Myrobalan rootstock

How to grow

Empress is fairly easy to grow, and although not self-fertile, is readily pollinated by most other late-flowering European plum varieties.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Empress is a very old variety of uncertain origins. It is widely known in Europe as Blue Imperatrice, the name apparently being shortened to Empress when it was introduced to North America.

Empress characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group5
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Picking seasonVery late
  • UsesDryingDual purpose
  • Keeping (of fruit)2-3 weeks
  • General resistanceGood
  • Cold hardiness (USDA)Zone 5 (-29C)
  • Period of origin1700 - 1749
  • Flesh colourGolden / Yellow
  • Fruit colorBlue - darkPurple - light