What Plants Work Well With Newport Plums?

Trees

• With its showy foliage and attractive blooms, the Newport plum is a showstopper. Couple the tree’s good looks with a green backdrop and the outcome can be astounding. The Newport plum is the type of tree that plays well with smaller evergreen trees such as the carob tree and the Indian laurel fig. Although it is larger, the foliage of the camphor tree complements the look of the Newport plum, according to the website Monrovia.

Shrubs

• Mixed shrub planting around Newport plum trees offers an attractive enhancement to its spring color show. Just like trees, stick with bushes that produce evergreen foliage. Waxleaf privet, a large evergreen shrub, measures half the height of the Newport plum and produces tiny white clusters of flowers that complement the plum’s spring blooms. Shiny Xylosma and Pink Princess Escallonia are also stunning shrubs, the latter producing pink blooms to complement that of the plum.

Flowers

• When it comes to flowers, evergreen perennials are the perfect companions for Newport plums. The yellow flowers of the Carolina jasmine offer an eye-catching contrast among those of the Newport plum, while accentuating the color of the leaves, as well. Cultivars of Carolina jasmine that also work well with the Newport plum are Swamp Jessamine, Major Wheeler, plena and flava. The plena variety produces double blooms, as opposed to the singular blooms of Carolina jasmine.

Pests

• The fruit of the Newport plum is 1 inch in diameter. Like most fruit producers, the Newport plum has an annual pest that favors its dull purple fruit. The curculio beetle is a U.S. native that causes severe damage to fruit trees. Planting horseradish plants around the base of the Newport plum tree works to deter the pest. The bright-green serrated foliage of the radish plant is an added bonus.