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Step 1
Choose the right spot in your yard or garden to plant an ornamental plum tree. These flowering trees can grow to be quite large, with a height and spread of about 25 feet for a mature plant. Since an ornamental plum tree requires a lot of sunlight, you should ensure that there are no buildings, trees or other obstacles that will limit growth and blossom production.
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Step 2
Buy an ornamental plum tree if you live in an area where the fruit may help to nourish local wildlife. While the fruit from many ornamental plum trees may be too sour for human consumption, many animals, such as deer and squirrels, can survive and thrive from the production of a single tree.
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Step 3
Pick a variety of ornamental plum tree based upon your available space and your aesthetic sensibilities. While the majority of ornamental plum trees have pink or white flowers, the color of the fruit can also vary, from red to deep purple. In addition, smaller varieties of flowering plums trees, such as the Chickasaw plum, are almost shrub-like, and can be used to fill especially tight areas.
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Step 4
Visit a reputable outdoor nursery or arboretum to buy an ornamental plum tree. Look for young, healthy trees that have not yet outgrown their containers, have not been staked for too long and are not root bound. A young, smaller plant can actually surpass the growth of an older tree if it has not yet exceeded the size of its container.
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Step 5
Use online resources, such as the Nature Hills website, to buy ornamental plum trees conveniently (see Resources below). Choose an online nursery that will guarantee the health of your ornamental plum tree for at least one season, and will offer free consultation services on how to plant and care for your tree properly.
