Blooming Time

• The Methley cultivar blooms in mid-spring, earlier than many other varieties. According to Ohio State University, this tendency to early flowering makes Methley plum trees inappropriate for cool climates, where the buds are often damaged by frost. In cooler climate zones, this and other Japanese plums may not fruit successfully at all. While Methley plums are self-fertile, they do best with another pollinator.
  
  

Chilling Requirements

• Deciduous fruit trees require winter chilling to allow them to produce leaves and flowers. Temperatures must be below 45 degrees Fahrenheit and above 32 degrees for a certain number of hours in order to break down growth-inhibitors in the tree. According to North Haven Gardens, Methley plum trees require 250 chilling hours to flower correctly. This makes it best suited for warm climates such as the American southeast.
  
  

Planting Zones

• According to Backyard Gardener, Methley plums do best in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 8. These zones have an average annual minimum temperature between minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit and 20 degrees and cover much of the southern United States. Warmer regions do not provide enough chilling hours to permit Methley plums to leaf out and flower, while cooler regions increase the risk of frost damage.
  
  

Fruiting

• The Methley plum's low chilling requirements and early bloom mean that this tree is an early producer. Methley plums ripen by early June and produce a reliably small, but sweet, crop every year.