Plum

Where it grows

The European plum is a long-cultivated hybrid most likely originating between cherry plum and blackthorn in the area around the Caucasus and eastern Europe. Asian plums (Prunus salicina) are a separate species centred on China. Plums grow across temperate climates and tolerate colder winters than peaches.

How to recognise it

A small spreading tree with rough purplish-grey bark and clusters of white five-petalled blossoms in early spring, often before the leaves. The simple elliptic toothed leaves are dark green. The fleshy drupes ripen yellow, red, deep purple, or blue-black, with a single flattened stone inside.

Uses

Plums are eaten fresh, dried into prunes (especially the Agen and Damson varieties), baked into puddings and pies, simmered into jam, and fermented and distilled into the legendary slivovitz, tuica, and other Central European fruit brandies. Pickled umeboshi plums of Japan are technically apricots.

Varieties

Domestica plums span thousands of named varieties, from Victoria and Greengage to Mirabelle and Stanley. Sloes — the fruit of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) — are a wild relative used to flavour sloe gin.