Prunus domestica 'Belle de Louvain' (C)
plum 'Belle de Louvain'
A self-fertile, culinary plum cultivar. The white spring blossom is followed by oval, dark red fruit ripe with light bloom, turning purple when fully ripe. The flesh is greenish-yellow and freestone (the flesh of the fruit is not attached to the pit). Blossom shows good frost resistance and is shade tolerant. Good disease resistance. Suitable for colder and wetter areas. Cropping season: early to late August. Pollination group 5
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Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
2.5–4 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | White | Green | Purple Red | |
Autumn | ||||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright, Bushy
- Genus
Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Tolerant of a range of soils as long as well drained, but prefers loamy, ideally slightly acidic soils pH of 6 to 6.5. Plant in a sunny, sheltered site. Flowers may be susceptible to spring frosts damage. Thin fruit if necessary. See How to grow: Plums for further cultivation details
Propagation
Propagate by chip budding or grafting onto a rootstock for fruit. The rootstock will largely determine the vigour of the tree
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Wildlife gardens
- Edible fruit
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Prune regularly depending on how the tree is trained – see pruning plums. Train fan-trained trees in spring. Pruning established fans is carried out in early summer and after harvest
Pests
May be susceptible to plum aphid, red spider mite and winter moth caterpillar. The fruit can be damaged by plum moth caterpillars, wasps and birds
Diseases
May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus
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