Flavor Grenade

Plum

Size

Medium, roughly the size of a Japanese plum

Shape

Elongated - notably non-round for a plum-type fruit

Flavor

Extremely sweet, intense flavor - one of the sweetest pluots; sweetness increases the longer it hangs on the tree

Texture

Crisp, crunchy - unusual for a plum-type fruit

Ripening window

Late season with a long hang time (roughly late August into September/October)

Best uses

Fresh eating

Pollination

Not self-fertile - needs another Japanese plum or plum-hybrid nearby (Flavor King Pluot, Dapple Dandy Pluot, Emerald Drop Pluot, or Santa Rosa plum); can also serve as the pollinator for the Bella Gold Peacotum above

Tree size

Not specified by available sources - general semi-dwarf pluot/plum sizing (12-15 ft) likely applies but unconfirmed for this specific cultivar

Notes

Pluot (plumcot backcrossed to plum, roughly 75% plum/25% apricot parentage) bred by Zaiger's Genetics, US Plant Patent 12,097. Green skin with red blush. Chill requirement most reliably cited as 300-400 hours (per Dave Wilson, the originating/licensing nursery, though other sources range from 200 up to 500-600) - a good fit for zone 8a Texas. Its extended, late hang time may help it dodge peak summer heat during fruit development, though no source specifically confirms Texas performance.