• Plums grow on a plum treePlum tree image by Stana from Fotolia.com
  
  For those interested in growing a fruit tree in their yard, garden, or farm, the plum tree is a great option. These small trees produce delicious fruit that can be used for a variety of jellies and sauces; they can also be baked into pies, dried as prunes, or eaten straight from the tree. Plum trees are also more compact than a lot of other fruit trees, and many sport beautiful flowers in the spring.
  
  

European Plums

• European plum trees bear fruit that is large, purple and sweet. Stanley and Seneca plums are two types of European plums that are widely grown in the United States. Compared to other plum trees, the fruit of European plums lasts a long time, both on the tree and after picking.
  
  

Japanese Plums

• Bungo and Satsuma plums are two types of Japanese plums, bearing fruit that is generally smaller and juicier than that of its European cousins. Japanese plums actually originated in China and were brought here sometime in the 19th century. In general, these types of plums do not thrive well in cold weather and the fruit is more susceptible to rot.
  
  

American Hybrid Plums

• These are the hardiest variety of plum tree, able to grow in conditions that are either too warm or too cold for European and Japanese plums. The fruit of the American hybrid is smaller than European and Japanese plums, as is the tree itself. In fact, many types of American hybrid plum trees can be pruned to the size of large bushes. The Beech plum is one of the most popular American hybrids.