Patterson Pride Plum vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Patterson Pride Plum vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus nigra x salicina Patterson Pride

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Patterson Pride Plum
Opata Cherry Plum

The Patterson Pride Plum is known for its delicious flavor, with firm, sweet golden flesh and dark red skin that isn’t sour. The freestone plums can grow 4-5 cm in diameter and are well-suited for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. It can produce heavy yields that ripen in mid-September which is later than other plums.

C.F. Patterson developed the Patterson Pride Plum at the University of Saskatchewan. It is known for its semi-dwarf, weeping growth habit

Patterson Pride Plum is a hybrid between Canada Plum and Japanese Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

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.

Patterson Pride Plum Quick Facts

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 2a
Height: 4 m (12 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: weeping branches
Fall colour: red to purple
Flowers: white
Fruit: red skin, yellow flesh
Fruit: skin green and red, flesh yellow-green
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Harvest: mid to late August
Hybrid: yes
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry