Formosa Plum Tree

Formosa Plum Tree is a rare Luther Burbank heirloom whose beauty and flavor once inspired lavish praise. Large, heart-shaped fruit develops radiant red skin around golden flesh touched with apricot color, offering abundant juice and a rich sweetness balanced by gentle tang. The striking fruit is excellent fresh and brings color and fragrance to desserts, preserves, sauces, and fruit plates. White blossoms cover the tree in spring before the dramatic crop begins to form. Although Formosa faded from commercial production, surviving old trees reveal the variety’s longevity and help explain why preservationists continue to value it. For gardeners who want more than a familiar market plum, Formosa offers a direct connection to California fruit-breeding history, a memorable harvest, and the satisfaction of keeping a once-famous variety growing for another generation.

Formosa grows on Myrobalan 29C rootstock and is suited to USDA zones 6–9, with a confirmed 300-hour chill requirement. Harvest is typically in late summer. Plant in full sun and well-drained soil, water deeply while establishing, and prune for a strong open framework.

Formosa is self-fruitful and can bear alone. Another compatible Japanese plum may increase pollinator activity and improve set; consider Santa Rosa or Burgundy.

Formosa Plum Tree Details

• Fruit: Large heart-shaped plums with radiant red skin and golden flesh
• Flavor and texture: Juicy, rich, sweet, and gently tangy
• Best uses: Fresh eating, desserts, preserves, sauces, and fruit plates
• Harvest: Late summer
• USDA zones: 6–9
• Chill hours: 300
• Tree size: Semi-dwarf on Myrobalan 29C rootstock
• Pollination: Self-fruitful; another compatible plum may improve set
• Recommended pollinizers/companions: Santa Rosa or Burgundy
• Special care: Thin fruit and develop strong scaffolds for the large crop
• Something special: Luther Burbank once promoted Formosa as one of the finest plums, and a century-old tree survives near Newcastle, California.

Orchard Planning Resources

• Bare Root Tree Selection Guide
• How to Plant Bare Root Trees
• Fruit and Nut Tree Characteristics
• Tree Rootstock Characteristics Chart