Yellow Caucasian Cherry Plum – Seeds from an Old Garden Tree

Prunus cerasifera

An ancient yellow plum crop originating from the Caucasus region. The seeds were collected from an old yellow cherry plum tree growing in Latvia.

There are plants we choose because we know exactly what to expect, and there are plants that are simply exciting to grow yourself. The yellow cherry plum belongs to the second group. When you plant a stone, you are not growing an exact copy of the mother tree – you are growing a new tree whose fruit flavour, size and even colour shade will only be revealed a few years later.

The mother tree from which these seeds were collected is an old yellow cherry plum tree growing in Latvia. It is not a modern commercial cultivar, but an old garden form that has been growing, flowering and producing fruit for years in our northern climate.

From the Caucasus to Old European Gardens

The history of the cherry plum takes us to the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and Western Asia, where Prunus cerasifera occurs in remarkable diversity. One tree may have golden-yellow fruit, another red, purple or almost black fruit; their size, sweetness and acidity can also vary.

People have cultivated and selected these trees for centuries. Over time, the cherry plum spread far beyond its original range and eventually reached the gardens of Northern Europe. In Latvia, it can still be found around old farmsteads and in abandoned gardens – sometimes as the last living reminder of a garden that no longer exists.

These are exactly the old trees we find most interesting. They are not perfectly standardised – they have a story of their own.

One Plum – Two Completely Different Flavours

You do not have to wait until yellow cherry plums are fully ripe to use them.

Unripe fruit is firm, crisp and very sour. It can be used in dishes that need a fresh acidity – much like lemon, citric acid or vinegar. It is an especially interesting fruit for people who do not enjoy the pronounced taste of vinegar and prefer experimenting with the natural acidity of fruit.

Leave the fruit on the tree, and almost the opposite transformation takes place. The plums become golden yellow, soft, very juicy and sweeter, while still retaining the pleasant acidity characteristic of cherry plums.

This means that fruit from the same tree can be used in completely different ways in the kitchen.

What Can You Do with Cherry Plums in the Kitchen?

This is where the experimenting begins.

The sour fruit can be used to make sauces and chutneys, added to meat, vegetable and stewed dishes, or used to experiment with your own version of the famous Georgian tkemali sauce.

Once fully ripe, the fruit is suitable for eating fresh, as well as for compotes, preserves, jellies, jams, purées and syrups. Cherry plums can also be fermented to make natural fruit vinegar.

If you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, this is one of those trees for which it is difficult to find just one use.

In Spring – a Cloud of White Flowers

Even without its fruit, the cherry plum would be a beautiful garden tree. It flowers early and very abundantly, before the leaves have fully opened. For a short time during flowering, a mature tree turns into a cloud of white blossom, quickly discovered by bees and other early spring pollinators.

The tree grows quite quickly. It usually reaches around 4–7 m in height and 4–6 m in width. If there is plenty of space, it can be allowed to develop a natural, broad crown. In a smaller garden, the crown can be shaped while the tree is young, keeping it lower and making the fruit easier to reach.

A cherry plum can live for several decades – 30–50 years is not unusual, and under good conditions trees can live considerably longer.

Three Stones Can Grow into Three Different Trees

This is exactly what makes growing cherry plums from seed so interesting.

Seedlings are not clones of the mother tree. One may grow more vigorously, another may stay more compact. One may produce sweeter fruit, another more acidic fruit. Fruit size, ripening time and colour shade may also differ.

For this reason, we cannot promise that a seed will grow into an exact copy of the old mother tree – and that is precisely what makes these seeds interesting for people who enjoy growing, observing and selecting plants themselves.

Under good conditions, the first flowers and fruit can be expected after approximately 3–5 years.

How to Wake Up the Stone

A cherry plum stone needs more than just moist soil. It also requires a period of cold – stratification.

In Northern Europe, the simplest method is to sow the stones outdoors in autumn and let winter do the work naturally. In spring, as the soil warms, they may begin to germinate.

Another option is to place the stones in a slightly moist growing medium and keep them in a refrigerator for several months at approximately +2…+5 °C. This method is particularly useful in Southern Europe, where winters may be too mild for natural stratification.

The growing medium should be moist, but not wet. If a stone begins to open and a root appears, it should be planted, taking care not to damage the young root.

And do not give up too quickly. Prunus seeds do not always germinate at the same time, and a quiet stone does not necessarily mean a dead stone.

In the North and the South

The cherry plum's ability to grow in very different climates is one of its great advantages.

In Northern Europe, it prefers a sunny position and well-drained garden soil, and cold winters are generally not a problem.

In Southern Europe, summer becomes more important. A mature tree can tolerate drier periods, but young seedlings should not simply be left in hot summer sun without water during their first years. The root zone can be mulched to prevent the soil from drying out too quickly.

Results may vary in very warm regions with mild winters. Here too, growing from seed has an advantage – from several seedlings, you can keep the one that performs best in your particular garden.

And a Few Years Later...

A small stone will have grown into a tree that no one else could have bought from a nursery.

You cannot know that today.

And that is exactly why it is so interesting to sow.

Seeds per packet: 3 pcs.

Author: Heart Garden Studio