Golden Spice Pear vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Golden Spice Pear vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

Pyrus Golden Spice

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Opata Cherry Plum
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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.

Golden Spice Pear produces delicious fruit and has other features that make it a striking accent tree. It is one of the few pears that successfully grows on the Canadian prairies. In late August, small, yellow pears with a slight red overlay will ripen and be ready for a variety of needs, including: fresh eating, canning, jams, and baking. They are slightly sweet with a crisp texture. Come fall, the green foliage transitions to orange, red, or burgundy, adding a burst of color to your yard.

Golden Spice Pear requires upkeep to ensure its survival and longevity. Regular pruning is recommended in late winter or early spring to maintain the oval shape and overall health of the tree. An additional pear or apple tree is required within 150 m (500’) for cross pollination and fruit production to occur.

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Golden Spice Pear Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 5 m (18 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: high


Fall colour: burgundy
Flowers: white
Fruit: skin green and red, flesh yellow-green
Fruit: fade from blush to golden
Fruit size: 3 cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Flavor: pleasant and sweet, hint of acidity
Flavor: sweet, crisp
Harvest: mid to late August
Harvest: late august early september
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry
Other Names: ussurian pear