Arkansas · Orchard fruit

Plum season in Arkansas

Typically early June to late July, with peak mid-June through mid-July.

Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.

At a glance

Early

From early June — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.

Peak

mid-June through mid-July — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.

Late

Through late July — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.

Season length

about 9 weeks end to end, shoulders included.

U-pick plums in Arkansas

Taste one first — varieties swing from candy-sweet to tart-skinned — and pick into shallow buckets. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (mid-June through mid-July) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.

Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.

Plums

Look: Deep, even color for the variety with the powdery gray bloom still dusted on the skin.
Feel: Yields slightly at the blossom end; the skin is taut, not shriveled near the stem.
Smell: Sweet and fruity at the blossom end when ripe; faint means give it a day or two.
Tip: That dusty white bloom is a badge of fresh, unhandled fruit — do not rub it off until you eat.
Keeps: Counter until the tip softens, then refrigerate up to four days.

Chasing the season?

Plum peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:

The whole national sweep · everything in season in Arkansas

Frequently asked questions

When is plum season in Arkansas?

In Arkansas, the plum season typically runs early June to late July, with peak availability mid-June through mid-July. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.

When should I go u-pick plums in Arkansas?

Aim for peak: mid-June through mid-July. An early trip around early June gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for jam-and-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.

How long does plum season last in Arkansas?

about 9 weeks end to end — early June to late July. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.