Pluot®, Flavor King, Bare Root

Flavor King Pluot (Prunus salicina × P. armeniaca ‘Flavor King’)

Flavor King is a plum-dominant plum–apricot hybrid grown for its aroma and rich sweet-tart flavor. Its red-purple skin and red flesh make it a distinctive late-summer fresh-eating fruit.

Key Characteristics

A rich flavor and noticeable aroma

The juicy flesh combines concentrated sweetness with a balancing tang. Let fruit mature well on the tree rather than expecting full flavor from hard, early-picked fruit.

Mostly plum in character

Flavor King is sold as a Pluot®, a group of plum–apricot hybrids that generally resemble plums more than apricots. It is useful fresh and in colorful preserves or baked desserts.

Match pollen and flowering time

Flavor King is not self-fertile and needs compatible Japanese-plum or suitable hybrid pollen. Do not substitute a European prune plum such as Stanley or Long John for that requirement.

Pollination Partners

Not self-fertile. Our 2027 Japanese-type options include A.U. Rosa and Shiro; choose a partner whose bloom overlaps Flavor King at the planting site. European prune plums are not suitable substitutes. Cross-pollination depends on overlapping bloom, not matching harvest months.

Rootstock and Mature Size

Plan for approximately 15–20 feet at maturity, depending on site and pruning. The offered variant identifies the rootstock; keep the graft union above soil level and remove rootstock suckers.

Product Details

• Sun: Full sun to light partial shade; full sun is best for fruiting.
• Soil: medium to medium-dry, well-drained soil; avoid standing water.
• Mature height: Approximately 15–20 feet; see rootstock and pruning guidance above.
• Bloom: Early to mid-spring; white flowers.
• Fruit: Red-purple skin and juicy red flesh with rich, aromatic sweet-tart flavor.
• Uses: Fresh eating, preserves, jam, tarts, and desserts.
• Ripening: August–September
• Chill hours: Approximately 400–500 hours.
• Pollination: Requires compatible Japanese-plum or suitable hybrid pollen with overlapping bloom.
• USDA hardiness: Zones 5–9.

General Pluot Orchard Guidance

A good start

Choose well-drained soil and enough room for the mature tree. Water consistently while roots establish, mulch with space around the trunk, and keep vigorous grass and other competitors away from the young root zone.

Fertility and fruit-tree guilds

Use a soil test to guide lime and fertilizer rather than feeding heavily by default. Our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend is an optional planting supplement; keep concentrated fertilizer away from bare roots and avoid excess nitrogen.

Interested in permaculture and stacking functions around your fruit trees? Explore our fruit-tree guild guide for ideas on combining plants for flowers, ground cover, and mulch while giving your tree room to grow.

Practical pest and disease care

Thin crowded fruit to improve size and protect branches, prune for airflow in dry weather, and remove fallen or mummified fruit. Monitor for brown rot, plum curculio, and black knot where it occurs. Early sanitation and fruit bags where practical can reduce problems; protect bees during bloom.