The 'Bluefre' or 'Bluefire' European plum is an upright and vase-shaped cultivar of Prunus domestica . It can be grown as a shrub or small tree, has showy white flowers, and edible fruit with purple skin and sweet yellow flesh. It can be slightly thorny. It is usually self-fruitful, but planting different cultivars as a group is recommended for better fruiting. Pairing 'Bluefre' with 'Stanley', 'Verity', 'Empress', or 'President' is common. For best results locate the 'Bluefre' European plum in a sheltered site with full sun, medium moist, organic soil with good drainage. It is susceptible to early spring frost damage. Avoid any periodic chemical spraying in the vicinity of the tree. 'Bluefre' is a vigorous, productive plant and bears fruit at an early age. The fruit hangs well after ripening. Thinning is recommended. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Prone to split-pit and susceptible to black knot. Aphids can be a common problem to all plum trees. More information on Prunus domestica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The egg-shaped leaves have fine teeth on the margin. The leaves are 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. The base is wedge-shaped and the tip is pointed. The upper surface has hairs.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Showy white flowers with 5 petals and long stamens appear singly or in pairs in spring before leaf-out.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
This Bluefire European plum has a purple-blue skin and yellow flesh. It is sweet and good for drying.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
Thin smooth bark on mature trees.
Stem detail
Smooth and dark brown. Three or more overlapping scales on buds.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Turkey
Wildlife value
This is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights from May-September in the north.
#deciduous #fruit tree #edible garden #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #flowering tree #flowering shrub #showy flowers #edible fruits
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting, shock.