Plum
Can I Grow Santa Rosa?
Santa Rosa is Luther Burbank's masterpiece — a Japanese plum with deep purple skin, amber flesh, and complex sweet-tart flavor. It's the most widely planted plum in California.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
300
Hardiness Zones
5-6-7-8-9-10
Harvest
June to July
Pollination
Self-fertile (but better with Beauty or Burgundy)
Results
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About Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is Luther Burbank's masterpiece — a Japanese plum with deep purple skin, amber flesh, and complex sweet-tart flavor. It's the most widely planted plum in California.
Santa Rosa requires 300 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Prone to brown rot and bacterial canker; heavy crops require thinning to prevent branch breakage.
❌ Common Misconception
Will Santa Rosa produce more fruit in colder climates?
Not necessarily. Santa Rosa only needs 300 chill hours. Planting in very cold zones (4 or colder) risks winter damage without improving fruit production. The ideal zones are 5-10 where the tree gets enough chill without excessive cold stress.
Other Plum Varieties
Plan Your Orchard
Log pruning, spraying, and harvests. See what you did last season. All your trees in one place.
Start Tracking Free →Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.