Methley Plum

Prunus salicina 'Methley'

fruit

Methley is the easiest plum to grow in the home orchard: self-fertile, low-chill, and incredibly productive. The medium reddish-purple Japanese plums have juicy sweet red flesh ideal for fresh eating and jam, and ripen in June to July, earlier than most other tree fruit. A reliable workhorse for backyard growers from zones 5 to 9.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Chives — Repels aphids and may discourage plum curculio
• Comfrey — Mineral-mining mulch returns potassium
• Yarrow — Hosts parasitic wasps that hunt curculio and aphids
• Daffodils — Spring bulbs around the trunk deter voles

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Plum curculio →

  Kaolin clay at petal fall; jar trunk at dawn; pick up early drops

• Black knot →

  Cut out swollen galls 4 in below knots in dormant season; dispose off-site

• Brown rot →

  Prune for airflow, remove mummies before bloom, harvest before fruit softens

• Japanese beetles →

  Hand-pick into soapy water at dawn; never use pheromone traps

🌾 Harvest & storage

Methley ripens in June to July, well before most other plums. Pick when the fruit is dark purple-red and gives to gentle thumb pressure; Japanese plums can be picked slightly underripe and will finish on the counter. Eat fresh, freeze pitted halves, or make plum jam (Methley sets reliably without added pectin because of natural pectin levels). The tree often bears in spectacular quantity; sharing with neighbors becomes a tradition.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

About 46 calories per 100 g fresh with 1.4 g fiber, 9.5 mg vitamin C, 157 mg potassium, and 6.4 mcg vitamin K. Japanese plums are richer in vitamin C than European plums and supply notable amounts of chlorogenic acid and anthocyanins, both studied for cardiovascular health.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the flesh, not the pit. The kernel inside the pit contains amygdalin, a cyanide-releasing compound - discard the pits and never eat or crush the seeds inside.