Plum trees are nice to look at, produce delicious fruits, and can provide shade for your space. When you begin to consider if this type of tree might be right for your yard, sunlight is going to end up being one of the biggest factors. Depending on the amount of sunlight your area gets, you may be able to sustain a plum tree quite well, and eventually, reap all the benefits.
Plum trees grow best in full sunlight, meaning that conditions allow for 6-8 hours of unobstructed, direct sunlight a day. Full sunlight helps to support growth, bloom, fruit production, an even canopy, and more.
Keep on reading to learn about why sunlight is such an important factor when it comes to the success of plum trees. We’ll even talk about indoor plum tree growth, and what happens when your tree gets the wrong amount of sun (too much and too little), among other things!
Let’s get into it.
Why Do Plum Trees Prefer Full Sunlight?
Different species of trees have so many different growing requirements, not to mention the difference in the needs of trees of different genera.
Plum trees, however, do best in full sun – so let’s get to why!
Plum Trees Grow Much Faster In Full Sun
Each plant grows its best under a specific set of conditions. While a fir might not do well in the Mediterranean, a palm tree certainly won’t fare well in Nebraska.
Plum trees don’t only need sunlight, they also need the right levels of water, the appropriate soil type to grow in, and nutrients that can most directly support the tree.
Even the way that plum trees are maintained matters.
Sunlight Is A Factor In Photosynthesis
Sunlight is a key factor in the process of photosynthesis, essential for the tree’s creation of energy. In turn, this process allows for new growth of the plum tree, including how fast it can grow.
More sunlight means more energy, which fuels more growth. The more sun that a tree gets, the more energy it will have to put toward the growth that helps it be strong and long-lasting.
According to the Smithsonian Science Education Center, plants have to take in water, gases in the air, and sunlight in order to trigger photosynthesis. All of these factors are key in the formation of glucose, a sugar, which acts as a type of food for the tree.
Plants of all types, including microorganisms and even algae, rely on photosynthesis to sustain energy and create new life.
Plum Trees Bloom Best In Full Sun
The impact of sunlight is significant, especially when it comes to your tree’s ability to produce new growth.
Plum trees bloom best when they receive the full sunlight that they require. You might think that this is standard for all trees, but the bloom of a tree in direct sunlight will vary based on the type of tree, and what its growing requirements are.
For example, many plants love and thrive in shade. Under direct sunlight, these plants may actually produce less. To be clear, plum trees are not on that list of shade-loving trees and plants.
Plum Trees Produce More Fruit In Full Sun
Plum trees not only need full sunlight to bloom flowers each spring but also to later produce the fruit that follows the bloom.
Trees need the energy to produce fruit, and your plum tree is no different. Photosynthesis is the process that most effectively prepares your fruit tree to produce, and full, direct sunlight is at the very center of the process.
In addition, the energy created during photosynthesis helps your tree grow taller and stronger, fight disease, and be more resistant to drought and poor soil conditions.
Why Does Sunlight Help Plum Trees Produce More Fruit?
- Higher energy levels: Photosynthesis produces energy, and so the growth of fruit on a plum tree, which requires energy, also relies on this process. Since photosynthesis produces the energy, and the sunlight is at the center of it all, plum growth directly mirrors the levels of sunlight the tree receives.
- Fewer structural issues: More sun means less water sitting on your tree because the sun helps to dry the surface of the tree. This allows your plum tree to be more resistant to issues like infestation and disease, which often stem from sitting water. A healthier tree produces better, healthier fruits.
Most fruit trees prefer full sun, and we have a few articles about why your cherry tree needs full sun and apple tree needs full sun. Make sure to seek out a sunny spot, in your yard or even indoors, to plant your plum tree for the best success.
Sunlight Helps Shape Your Plum Tree
While the shape of a tree is aesthetically beneficial, it also plays a large role in the overall health and success of a given tree.
You want your plum tree to be beautiful, but also strong, and stable, and all of the other things that make a tree last. The appearance of your tree actually ties into its health, because a tree that is healthier will always look better than one that is struggling.
Sunlight plays quite a role in the process of shaping your tree, meaning the difference between lopsided and weak, or strong with an even canopy.
Your Tree Will Grow Towards The Sun
Tree growth inherently gravitates toward the sun. So, areas that sit in partial shade may lead to a tree that leans to reach the most direct sunlight it can access.
An outdoor tree that has access to unobstructed sunlight will have a fuller, uniform canopy, and be much more even in its general growth.
Some unwanted effects of partial shade on your plum tree will manifest in the following ways:
- A lopsided tree: In spaces where sunlight is only available in inconsistent patterns, new growth will still occur, but with an uneven dispersal. Portions of the tree that sit in the shade for longer will face thinner canopies, and growth that angles toward the sunnier areas.
- Weak branches: The same can be said for branches that sit in the shade, receiving less sunlight than they require. The limbs of the tree will reach further to get some sunlight, making them weaker, uneven, and potentially less well-attached to the base of the tree.
- Less Canopy Space: Growth gaps meant that your tree will produce less shade, and fruit because its canopy will be more patchy, sparse, and unreliable.
When supplied with full, even sunlight, your plum tree is sure to grow taller, stronger, and in a more productive manner. This overall strength and consistency will support the tree’s structural integrity and inner health.
Sunny Conditions Promote A Healthier Plum Tree
Plum trees rely on sunlight to help them dry off after rain, or even after you water them. This act of drying is vital to the success of the tree, for more reasons than you might imagine.
Let’s go over some of the ways that the sun can help promote a healthier plum tree:
- Stronger skin of the fruit: Plums that have been left with water sitting on them can begin to wither, or their skin might crack open. This invites further issues, on top of the fact that it often renders your plum inedible, after a while.
- More resistance to disease and rot: Wetness on your tree promotes the growth of fungus, and the cracks left by sitting water can only help that fungus turn into full-on rot. This might allow the disease to overtake your tree more easily, which could mean the downfall of your plum tree.
- Avoiding pests: Not only does sitting water cause damage and disease, but it also attracts pests. These conditions can all combine in damp, cool areas to create the perfect storm of chaos. Your plum tree may not be able to withstand infestation, especially if it is part of a larger issue, like rot or weakness in your tree.
We know that water is important but, like sunlight, there is such thing as too much water.
We recommend trying out the CARPATHEN Drip Irrigation Kit in order to avoid overwatering (and underwatering) your plum tree. With drip connectors, ¼ tubing, and drip emitters, the system helps to maintain a full irrigation system to support your tree in a reliable way.
If your plum tree gets the 6-8 hours of sunlight it requires, this should not be cause for concern.
You may also rely on pruning as another way to help maintain a tree with too much surface water. The Gonicc 8.5” Professional Rotating Bypass Titanium Coated Pruning Shears are great for clearing out branches that might have succumbed to disease, infestation, and even those that just don’t fit into the canopy properly.
Can Plum Trees Receive Too Much Sun?
Plum trees may need a lot of sunlight, but can they receive too much? Too many hot, sunny days, with high UV levels can result in harm to your tree.
If you’re concerned about finding that balance, know that the sun alone does not usually cause issues. More often, it is the combination of higher-than-average temperatures, high UV levels, and dryness that will negatively impact a sun-loving tree.
Too Much Sun Can Cause Sunburn On Your Trees
Much like humans, trees can get sunburnt. Especially in high temperatures and UV levels, a tree that receives an exorbitant amount of sunlight might face a sunburn.
Questioning what a sunburn on a tree might look like? They’re not that different from sunburns on people, actually!
While people see their skin peeling, being dry, and getting redder, trees also display effects of the sunburn. Tree bark may appear drier than usual, discolored, and eventually peel off, as well. At the least, the tree’s bark will be noticeably weaker and looser.
Too Much Sun Can Cause Water Stress
Plum trees that have been in too much sun might undergo water stress, where there is a lack of access to water.
The sun brings with it a certain heat and dryness that, like a sunburn, will result in the eventual lack of water for the plum tree to utilize.
Your tree might have discolored leaves, and appear droopier than usual if it is undergoing water stress. The bark is not the only thing to watch out for. Water stress might also cause your soil to dry out, as well.
Water stress will make it so that your plum tree is unable to absorb all the nutrients it needs, and will impact the health of your tree in a negative way.
How (And When) To Protect Your Plum Tree From Too Much Sun
Your plum tree will prosper if your area is always sunny. How do you make sure it doesn’t get sunburnt or fall victim to water stress?
According to RIPE, Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency, sun protection is an evolutionary barrier that plants have built up over time, and now wield.
Known as photoprotection, plants can turn this on and off depending on the levels of sunlight, to make sure that they get the right amount of sun, when possible. Nature is impressive!
In full sunlight, photoprotection is activated, but even if a leaf is shaded by another leaf, the edge of a building, or an extra cloudy day, it is turned off to allow the tree to absorb any and all sunlight it can – this process keeps leaves from being bleached, or sunburnt, by sunlight that gets too intense.
Man-Made Protection For Trees
Sunglasses are great, but why not sunscreen? That’s right! Humans have created some additional ways to protect trees, as we work with nature to help sustain it.
Dalen’s Protective Tree Wrap is one example of man-made protection against the sun. It acts as sunscreen does for us, as a light-colored item that reflects some of the harsh sunlight.
You can protect your tree from any negative effects of too much sun, in an easy way.
Can Plum Trees Still Do Well on Cloudy Days?
If sunlight is crucial to the growth and production of plum trees, how dire are the effects of cloudy days? The tree won’t suddenly lose all of its energy, nor will photosynthesis come to a halt. The sun is still there, shining, but is able to reach plants at a reduced level.
Energy is still created on cloudy days, but in a smaller capacity than on a sunny day, so the tree will put that small amount of energy toward survival, rather than other growth and production.
What About Many Cloudy Days In A Row?
If you have a plum tree but also live in an area with a high number of overcast days per year, you’ll just expect your tree to develop at a slower rate. This is normal and, frankly, to be expected.
Slower growth also ties into the fact that less fruit will be produced, your canopy will be smaller, and the tree will be less hardy overall. The same thing can happen with trees that live inside and don’t get as much unobstructed access to the sun.
A great solution to this unfortunate problem? LED lights!
A wonderful way to supplement the light that your plant receives is by installing some LED lights, like WTINTELL’s LED Plant Grow Light with Stand. The greenhouse-like level of light comes from 4 adjustable lights, which can be set on a timer when needed.
Ensuring That Indoor Plum Trees Get Enough Sun
Are you concerned that you might not have enough outdoor space to sustain a plum tree, but you still really want plums?
There’s a solution to that! You can grow a plum tree indoors, as well as outdoors. But, doesn’t the inside inherently keep the plum tree from meeting its needs? Valid question, but not exactly.
Many plum species do well in balanced conditions indoors, and sunlight can be supplemented in many ways, one of which is the LED lights we mentioned above.
Keep the tree by the window, and move it outdoors once in a while if possible. These actions, along with proper watering and fertilization, will keep your plum tree happy, healthy, and plum-p!
Try a balanced fertilizer like the Southern Ag All Purpose Granular Fertilizer, with an NPK value of 10-10-10, to help best sustain your plum tree.
That’s A Wrap!
Plum trees do so much better when planted in an area that allows them access to the full, direct, 6-8 hours of sunlight that can best sustain them.
Let’s go over the reasons for this just one last time!
5 reasons why plum trees thrive in full sun:
- Plum trees grow much faster in full sun
- Plum trees bloom better in full sun
- Plum trees produce more plums in full sun
- Sunlight helps shape your plum tree
- Sunny conditions promote a healthier plum tree
Remember, too much sunlight can be as bad as too little. Too much water can also be as bad, if not worse, than too little. Finding the balance that best supports your tree in key.
Make note of your plum tree’s progress to make sure that it is getting enough sun, enough water, and any other maintenance it might need.
Local arborists will always be equipped to help you evaluate your tree so that you can rest assured you are doing the right things.
References
Aluja, M., & Birke, A. (1993). Habitat use by adults of Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a mixed mango and tropical plum orchard. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 86(6), 799-812.
Mc Clendon, J. H., & Mc Millen, G. G. (1982). The control of leaf morphology and the tolerance of shade by woody plants. Botanical Gazette, 143(1), 79-83.
Mc Millen, G. G., & Mc Clendon, J. H. (1979). Leaf angle: an adaptive feature of sun and shade leaves. Botanical Gazette, 140(4), 437-442.
