Dapple Dandy Pluot Tree

The Dapple Dandy Pluot Tree brings exceptional flavor and a playful appearance to the home orchard. Its medium-to-large fruit develops mottled red and yellow-green skin surrounding juicy creamy white flesh flushed with red. The colorful pattern inspired its popular “Dinosaur Egg” nickname, making this a fruit that is nearly as much fun to share as it is to eat.

Dapple Dandy offers a lively balance of sweetness and refreshing tartness, combining the rich flavor of a plum with subtle apricot character. Enjoy the fruit fresh from the tree, slice it into summer salads, or use it for preserves, cobblers, tarts and other desserts. The attractive fruit and showy spring bloom also make this semi-dwarf tree a distinctive addition to an edible landscape.

This Dapple Dandy Pluot tree grows on Citation rootstock and performs best in full sun with well-draining soil. It requires a compatible pollinizer with an overlapping bloom period to set fruit reliably. Good partners include Flavor Supreme Pluot, Flavor King Pluot and Burgundy Plum. Planting a compatible partner also creates an opportunity to enjoy another flavor and harvest from the same orchard.

Dapple Dandy Pluot Tree Details

• Fruit: Medium-to-large pluots with mottled red and yellow-green skin
• Flavor and texture: Juicy and sweet with a bright, pleasantly tart finish
• Best uses: Fresh eating, fruit salads, preserves, baking and desserts
• Harvest: August; timing varies by region and season
• USDA zones: 5–10
• Chill hours: Approximately 400–500
• Tree size: Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock
• Pollination: Requires a compatible pluot or Japanese plum with an overlapping bloom period
• Recommended partners: Flavor Supreme Pluot, Flavor King Pluot or Burgundy Plum
• Something Special: Dapple Dandy was developed by legendary fruit breeder Floyd Zaiger and became widely recognizable as the speckled “Dinosaur Egg” pluot.

Orchard Planning Resources

• Choose the right bare root tree
• Learn how to plant a bare root tree
• Compare tree characteristics, chill hours and pollination needs
• Compare fruit tree rootstocks