Description/Taste
Plums are small to medium-sized stone fruits, averaging 2 to 7 centimeters in diameter, and have a round, oval, ovate, to cordate shape with a prominent suture line extending from the stem’s cavity to the Plum’s base. The fruit’s skin is thin, taut, smooth, and delicate, bruising easily, and ranges in color from dark purple, almost black, ruby red, bright green to golden amber, depending on the variety. Some Plum cultivars are also covered in a waxy, pale blue to grey bloom that encases the entire surface of the fruit, locking in moisture and acting as a protective barrier. Underneath the skin, the flesh is semi-firm, aqueous, and dense with a tender and succulent consistency. Each variety of Plum will exhibit varying flesh tones, including orange, yellow, purple, red, pink, to green hues, and there is a brown pit that is either tightly adhered or easily separated from the center of the flesh. Plums, depending on the variety, will have a sweet and subacid, sweet-tart, or sour flavor with fruity, tropical, rich, and sometimes sugary nuances.

Seasons/Availability
Plums are available in the summer through early fall.

Current Facts
Plums, botanically a part of the Prunus genus, are flavorful stone fruits belonging to the Rosaceae family. Experts believe there are two main species, known as Japanese plums, or Prunus salicina, and European plums, Prunus domestica. Both species are the main types utilized for commercial production, and species such as American plums, Prunus americana are considered minor, more localized types. There are many different varieties of Plums within each of these species that vary in flavor, appearance, and texture. Plums grow on trees that can reach 5 to 12 meters in height, and common cultivars include Santa Rosa, Greengage, Mirabelle, Moyer, Friar, Damson, El Dorado, and Elephant Heart. Plums are believed to be one of the earliest cultivated fruits in history and have been favored since antiquity for their sweet, subtly tangy flavor and firm but tender flesh.