Starking® Delicious™ Plum Tree

Starking® Delicious™ Plum is a Stark Bro’s exclusive, and we don’t use the word “delicious” lightly — this variety has earned that name year after year since its 1951 introduction with heavy crops of large, round, deep-red-skinned dessert plums whose flesh matches the rich red color all the way through. Sweet, firm, juicy, and outstanding whether eaten fresh off the tree or cooked into preserves and pies, it bears young and reliably, shows good resistance to bacterial leaf spot and canker, and ripens in early August across a wide Zones 5–9 range. Discovered in 1931 and brought to market by Stark Bro’s twenty years later after thorough evaluation — a Stark Pick and Easy to Grow selection. A pollinator is required.

Deep Red Flesh to Match the Deep Red Skin

Most red-skinned plums have yellow or amber flesh inside. Starking® Delicious™ delivers deep red flesh to match its deep red skin — a visually striking characteristic that makes it as beautiful when sliced as it is enjoyable to eat, and produces the richly colored jams, preserves, and pies that home cooks prize. That color consistency reflects the anthocyanin richness that contributes to flavor depth as well as visual appeal.

Discovered 1931 — Introduced by Stark Bro’s 1951

The story of Starking® Delicious™ Plum is classic Stark Bro’s: a remarkable natural selection discovered in 1931 and recognized for its exceptional quality, then introduced to home orchardists by Stark Bro’s in 1951 after twenty years of evaluation to confirm its consistency, productivity, and flavor. That institutional thoroughness is what makes Stark Bro’s introductions trustworthy — and what gives Starking® Delicious™ over 70 years of proven home orchard performance.

Disease Resistant — Bacterial Leaf Spot and Canker

Starking® Delicious™'s good resistance to bacterial leaf spot and canker supports reliable annual harvests with less disease management intervention — making it one of the more practical and forgiving plum choices for home orchardists who want quality fruit without intensive spray programs. Heat tolerant and adaptable across the full Zones 5–9 range.

Why Growers Choose Starking® Delicious™ Plum

• A Stark Bro’s exclusive, Stark Pick, and Easy to Grow selection
• Deep red flesh to match the deep red skin — beautiful fresh and in preserves
• Discovered 1931, introduced by Stark Bro’s 1951 — 70+ years of proven performance
• Heavy crops from a young tree — rewarding quickly for new fruit growers
• Good resistance to bacterial leaf spot and canker — reliable with less management
• Heat tolerant, wide zone adaptability — performs across Zones 5–9