Echinacea vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Echinacea vs Opata Cherry Plum

Echinacea angustifolia

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

ONLY AVAILABLE BY CONTRACT GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

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Opata Cherry Plum

Echinacea is a unique flowering plant that has been used by Native Americans as medicine for centuries.

Tall stalks topped with badminton-birdie-like flowers make this plant a distinctive addition to any garden or yard.

Echinacea this drought tolerant and will attract bees, butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

Opata Cherry Plum is considered to be one of the best tasting Cherry Plum varieties. It has a pleasant, sweet flavour and a hint of acidity. They ripen in mid to late August and are well suited to fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

The fruit is closer to a plum than a cherry but is smaller than most plums.The Opata Cherry Plum’s skin is red/green whereas the flesh is yellow-green. The flesh is freestone with a juicy, firm texture. Similar to other stone fruits, it does not store for very long.

The Opata Cherry Plum is a hybrid between a Western Sand Cherry and a Japanese (Chinese) Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

Echinacea Quick Facts

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Harvest: mid to late August
Flowers: purple flowers
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium




Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry