Growing a plum tree can be a rewarding experience for any gardener. Plums trees, Prunus domestica are members of the rose – or Rosaceae – family, and so unsurprisingly they put on a brilliant ...

Photos/ Lee Gugliada Dark reddish, plum-colored leaves resembling a Japanese Maple will appear after the flowers fade on this tree, possibly a Purple Leaf Plum, in Cindy Stolzenthaler's garden.

Q: When is the best time to prune a 20-year-old plum tree? I get conflicting information. Early spring or between November and February? This tree has not produced fruit for many years.

A plum tree does not have a notorious root system, one that heaves up sidewalks, for instance. The vast majority of roots of any tree species are found in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil.

There can be numerous reasons why a plum tree drops its fruit before it ripens: insects, disease, high winds, and stress ( too much water, too little water, lack of nutrients, poor drainage, weed ...