Plums are classic summer fruits that you can find at produce stalls, farmer’s markets and grocery stores during the warmer months. But when are plums in season?
While the peak season for plums runs from June to August, there are also plum varieties that can ripen as early as May or as late as November. In this guide, we discover when individual varieties of plums are in season and when you can enjoy the sweetest fruit.
When Is Plum Season?
Plum season is from June until August in the United States. However, there are some states that have a much longer plum season from May to November, such as California and Kansas.
While you can find plums in many large grocery stores all year round, the sweetest varieties only taste best when they are in season. Plums out of season are usually stored in low temperatures and harvested before they are ripe.
This significantly affects their flavor making them taste less fresh and sweet. The exact time of year for plum season depends on where you live, the weather conditions and the plum variety.
Plums come in a large range of shades and colors. Each one can vary slightly depending on where the plums are harvested.
Plum Season By Plum Variety
There are over 2,00 varieties of plums around the world but we grow only 100 different types of plum trees in America. Over half of these varieties can be found in Northern California where most of the plum harvest for the country comes from.
This being said, there are two main plum varieties that are most popular with growers and consumers: European varieties and Japanese varieties.
European Plum Season
Originally from the Caspian Sea, early pilgrims brought these varieties to the United States in the 17th Century. At this time, 90% of the US plums were grown in California because the trees needed a warmer climate.
With the introduction of the European plum, farmers could also grow plums in the cooler climate around the Midwest. This also led to an earlier plum season in these states. Today, European plum varieties, such as Moyer, Damson and Mirabelle, are mostly found in California.
The individual plums ripen later in the year, so they are ready for harvest between July and October. However, this strongly depends on the specific variety and the weather conditions.
Japanese Plum Season
Native to China and Japan, Japanese plum varieties were introduced to US growers during the 19th Century. These plums have a purple or dark red color when they are fully ripened.
Their waxy appearance with a white-blue skin makes them a beautiful fruit to look at. Japanese plums, such as Friar, Santa Rosa and El Dorado plums, are typically early spring fruits because they can be harvested in May and June.
Plum Season By State
California is the biggest producer of plums in the United States. Californian plums are harvested from May until November. However, you can also find plums in other US states. Here is an overview of when you can expect plums in your state.
Alabama: July until August
Alaska: Mid-September
Arizona: June until August
Arkansas: June until August
California: May until November
Colorado: June until mid-September
Connecticut: Mid-July until September
Delaware: August until September
Florida: Mid-May until mid-July
Georgia: July until August
Hawaii: Mid-March until July
Idaho: August until September
Illinois: June until October
Indiana: Mid-July until mid-August
Iowa: July until August
Kansas: Mid-June until mid-November
Maine: Mid-September
Maryland: Mid-July until mid-September
Massachusetts: August until September
Michigan: Mid-August until mid-September
Minnesota: January until March and July until December
Mississippi: Mid-May until July
Missouri: Mid-June until October
Montana: July until August
Nebraska: July until August
Nevada: July until August
New Hampshire: Mid-July until mid-August
New Jersey: July until August
New Mexico: July until September
New York: July until September
North Carolina: June until August
North Dakota: July until August
Ohio: July until mid-October
Oklahoma: May until July
Oregon: August until September
Pennsylvania: August until September
Rhode Island: August until mid-October
South Carolina: May until August
South Dakota: Mid-September
Tennessee: June until September
Texas: May until September
Utah: July until October
Vermont: August until September
Virginia: Mid-July until September
Washington: August until September
West Virginia: July until August
Wisconsin: September until October
Wyoming: July until August
Can You Buy Plums In Winter?
Yes, many large grocery stores also have fruit that is out of season, including cherries and plums.
However, it is important to keep in mind that these year-round plums are either imported from other countries or they are not the sweet varieties that you can usually get between May and November.
How To Tell If Your Plums Are Ripe?
If you want to make sure that the plums you buy are ripe, then there are a few different ways you can check.
Look For A Vibrant Color
Depending on the variety, your plum should be either dark purple, red or bright yellow. There are different shades of a plum but your fruit should never be green or it is not ripe yet. The plum should also have a uniform color without too many patches or blemishes.
Check For A Sweet Fragrance
Ripe plums have a gentle sweet smell. Just put your nose close to the top of the plum and check if you get a fruity aroma. If you can’t smell anything, then your plum is likely still unripe and you should leave it to ripen for a few more days.
Squeeze The Fruit
If you are not sure about the color and smell of the plum, then you can also tell the fruit’s ripeness from a gentle squeeze.
Gently press your thumb on the plum’s surface and check if it feels soft. Just make sure that the skin is still smooth as wrinkly skin could indicate that your plum is overripe.
Final Thoughts
With their dark color and deliciously sweet flesh, plums are a fantastic summer fruit. Thanks to a long harvest season, you can find plums from May to November.
Hello, my name is Valentina and I am the founder or ‘grower’ as I like to call myself of BonitaFruitTrees.com.
Cultivating my own fruit trees is definitely my passion, and has been for such a long time.
That’s what made me want to make this website. I wanted to create a place where I could share my experiences with others, teach more people how to grow fruit trees, and just help them have a little fun with it.
