Stanley

‘Stanley’ is an American prune-type variety that has become an international standard thanks to its fertility, hardiness and versatile fruit.

The medium to large plum is oval and elongated. Its skin turns dark blue to purple-black when ripe and is covered with a heavy pale-blue bloom.

The greenish-yellow flesh is firm, fleshy, fine-textured and juicy. Its flavour is rich, mild and exceptionally sweet, with little acidity when the fruit is harvested fully ripe. The stone separates easily from the flesh.

Harvest generally takes place from the second half of August through the first half of September. The fruit keeps well and can be eaten fresh, while its high sugar content also makes it particularly suitable for drying, jams, compotes, tarts and preserves.

The tree is vigorous, with a spreading to broadly upright habit, quick to begin cropping and highly fertile. It generally produces abundant, regular crops, although thinning may be useful to maintain fruit size and prevent overcropping.

‘Stanley’ is self-fertile and can crop on its own. However, another European plum flowering at the same time will generally improve fruit set and yield. Its late flowering and good hardiness allow it to be grown in many regions. The variety may nevertheless be susceptible to certain wood diseases and to split stones when growing conditions are irregular.