Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea vs Opata Cherry Plum - TreeTime.ca

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea vs Opata Cherry Plum

Prunus besseyi x salicina Opata

Hydrangea paniculata HYLV17522

Opata Cherry Plum
Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea

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.

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea is a dwarf panicle hydrangea with flowers that start as lime green and transition to a rich pink towards the fall. During the summer the leaves are a deep green and turn a golden yellow with a red to purple tint. Persistent blooms and fall colors add multi season interest to your landscape. The petite form is well suited for urban yards and tight spaces.

Flowers grow on new wood so pruning is best done in late winter or early spring. The Dragon Baby Hydrangea is part of the Bloomin’ Easy® collection.

Opata Cherry Plum Quick Facts

Dragon Baby™ Hydrangea Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $17.49 - SAVE UP TO 13%
Lowest Price: $18.99 - SAVE UP TO 5%
Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: starts green and transitions to pink
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: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: opata chum, opata plum cherry
Other Names: dragon baby hardy hydrangea, dragon baby panicle hydrangea