Splash Zaiger Pluot is a hybrid fruit tree that crosses two stone fruit lineages to create something genuinely special: a tree that produces small to medium-sized, heart-shaped fruits with a stunning yellow base blushed in red and orange. Developed through Dave Wilson's breeding program, this cultivar reaches 18-25 feet on standard rootstock (though you can prune it shorter) and bears fruit within 2-3 years. Hardy in zones 6-10 and heat tolerant, it thrives where many other stone fruits struggle, blooming from early summer through late summer and rewarding you with exceptionally sweet fruit perfect for fresh eating, drying, or desserts.
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6-10
300in H x ?in W
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High
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This tree's flavor is genuinely exceptional, earning it a place among Dave Wilson's Taste Test Top Scorers. The fruit is intensely sweet with aromatic depth, equally delicious eaten fresh off the branch or preserved. Once established, the upright growth habit and large annual crops make it a generous producer, and because it's heat tolerant and hardy into zone 6, it succeeds in climates where many stone fruits falter.
Splash Zaiger Pluot shines as a fresh-eating fruit, where its exceptional sweetness and aromatic quality can be fully appreciated. It also dries beautifully, concentrating its sugars into a complex, satisfying snack, and its sweet depth makes it a choice fruit for desserts where the flavor itself becomes the star rather than requiring heavy added sugar.
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Bare-root trees should be planted in late winter during dormancy, before bud break. In zones 6-8, plant in early spring; in warmer zones (9-10), late winter planting works best. Space trees 15-20 feet apart to accommodate mature height and spread. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball, position the tree so the graft union sits 2-3 inches above soil level, backfill with unamended soil, and water thoroughly to settle soil around roots.
Harvest Splash Zaiger Pluot when the fruit fully softens slightly to gentle pressure and the color deepens to a rich yellow-red blend, typically in late summer (August-September depending on your zone). The fruit will not ripen further off the tree, so wait for full color development and slight yield before picking. Cut or gently twist fruit from the branch rather than pulling, as this hybrid's flesh is delicate; handle carefully to avoid bruising.
Prune Splash Zaiger Pluot in late winter while dormant. The tree's upright growth habit naturally favors a strong central leader, so focus pruning on removing crossing branches, dead wood, and competing central stems. Once the main framework is established, maintain an open canopy by removing interior branches that shade the fruit. You can keep this tree shorter than its natural 20-25 feet on standard rootstock through annual heading-back cuts, which also encourages lateral branching and more fruit-bearing wood.
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“Splash Zaiger Pluot represents the culmination of deliberate hybrid breeding work by the Zaiger family and Dave Wilson Nursery, combining the genetics of Japanese plum (Prunus salicina) with apricot (Prunus armeniaca). This cross created a fruit with the juicy sweetness of plums and the aromatic qualities of apricots, with the bonus of apricot's slightly smaller size and earlier maturity. The variety emerged from serious flavor-focused breeding rather than happenstance, selected specifically for its performance in California's Central Valley and its exceptional taste profile.”