Plum (European)
Can I Grow Stanley?
Stanley is the classic prune plum — freestone, blue-skinned, and perfect for drying, canning, or fresh eating. It's the standard European plum for home orchards.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
800
Hardiness Zones
5-6-7-8
Harvest
September
Pollination
Self-fertile
Results
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About Stanley
Stanley is the classic prune plum — freestone, blue-skinned, and perfect for drying, canning, or fresh eating. It's the standard European plum for home orchards.
Stanley requires 800 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
Susceptible to black knot fungus (prune out infected branches immediately); needs thinning.
❌ Common Misconception
Can I grow Stanley in Zone 9 or warmer?
No. While Stanley is listed for zones 5-8, it requires 800 chill hours to produce fruit. Warm zones like 9+ typically receive only 200-400 chill hours. The tree may survive but will not fruit reliably. Consider low-chill alternatives like Anna apple (200h) or Tropic Snow peach (200h) instead.
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.