Flavor Queen Pluot Tree

If you are a dog lover, you've seen your share of designer Poodle mixes. Poodles are bred with just about every other breed known to man!

Well, the same concept holds true in horticulture. Plums are the Poodles of the fruiting tree world.

Plums are easy care, vigorous and reliably productive.But, their tart acidity can be a bit...intense.

Enter Apricots, with their high sugar flesh. Pluots are a natural cross between European Plum and Apricot. Flavor Queen (Prunus x 'Flavor Queen') is one of the sweetest varieties of Pluots with 18 Brix, the measurement of fruit sugar.

Don't worry, this isn't an insipid, flat sweetness. Instead, a hint of the tart Plum parentage comes to the rescue, making Flavor Queen a deliciously complex piece of fruit. You'll love the aftertaste of sweet Apricot.

Just take care when picking ripe Flavor Queens, as they will bruise easily. This is the main reason this is a quintessential backyard fruit variety. You won't find these delicious, hand-picked fruits in the grocery store.

Enjoy it fresh, tree-ripe or ripened over a few days on your counter. This is a wonderful variety to use in special jams or preserves. And you'll definitely want to slice and dehydrate for healthy snacks in wintertime.

With glowing greenish-yellow skin and pretty amber-colored flesh, Flavor Queen looks good on a plate or in a fruit salad. Even picky kids will appreciate the ripe flesh.

It's also a pretty tree in the landscape with large, highly textured, dark green leaves. In spring, the spreading branches are covered with fragrant, single white blooms.

today! People love this variety and we'll quickly sell out of this year's Flavor Queen crop.

How to Use Flavor Queen Pluot Tree in the Landscape

If you want to enjoy one of the best-tasting fresh fruits, it's best to grow your own. Pluots are easy-care, but do require at least two varieties for pollination.

You have options to consider when planting fruit trees. If you have the room, create a standard orchard planting. Space trees 20 feet apart on center, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

If you want to save space, create a 3-in-1 planting using backyard orchard culture techniques. Be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel and our #ProPlantTips blog for more information on maintaining small fruiting trees.

Keep things easy for yourself by using summer pruning for size control. Add an early season and a late season variety for a prolonged harvest date that covers much of your summertime.

If you want to really maximize the impact of fruiting trees in your landscape, use them to create a hard-working privacy screen. Plant them 5 feet apart in a hedgerow, where the canopies will touch.

Use your Pluot collection as a beautiful backdrop to your vegetable patch. Or, create an informal grouping in a mulched garden bed. Enjoy your modern Edible Landscape!

#ProPlantTips for Care

Flavor Queen Pluot should be planted in full sun. It needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. Give morning sunlight if you can, as it will quickly dry off the foliage to keep your trees healthy.

Well-drained soil is important, as Pluots won't tolerate standing water. Improve drainage by adding additional soil in a mound 12 to 18 inches tall by 3 feet wide. Plant directly in that mound, or finish it off with a border as a raised bed.

Trees need proper air circulation. Give plenty of space away from your home or other structure, and don't plant in an area that will trap air.

Water Flavor Queen regularly with a medium amount of water. This is important during the first year, and each year thereafter during fruit development.

Save water costs with a 3-inch layer of mulch over the root system. Ensure there is at least 6 inches of leeway between the trunk and your mulch layer.

Apply an all-purpose fertilizer in early spring, or top dress with well-rotted compost. Orchard Spray for fruiting trees is helpful to boost pest and disease tolerances, as well. Always follow the label directions.

In late winter, prune to correct shape. You'll create a vase-shape set of scaffolding branches. Eliminate crossing and inward-turning branches to increase sunlight and air circulation in the canopy.

Place your order today, but move fast. You'll compete with fruit-fanatics around the country. If we have it stock, order Flavor Queen Pluot tree as soon as you can.

Recommended Pollinators: Dapple Dandy Pluot, Flavor Supreme Pluot