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European plum

Prunus domestica

Also called Wild Plum, Damson Plum, Bullace Plum, Gage, Gardalu, Garden Plum, Greengage

European plum
Photo: YAMAMAYA, CC BY-SA 3.0

Prunus domestica is the European plum, a deciduous tree or large shrub grown for its sweet or sour fruit, with many varieties including greengages and damsons. It needs a sheltered spot away from frosts and cold winds, as it flowers early.

Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply during dry spells, especially in the first years and while fruit is swelling.
Soil
Deep, fertile, well-drained loam; avoid waterlogged ground.
Temperature
Hardy in temperate climates; shelter from late frosts and cold winds at flowering.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Not known to be toxic: The stones and leaves contain compounds that release cyanide when damaged, so the seed kernels should not be eaten in quantity.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Transcaucasus to N. Iran
Climate
temperate

About

Prunus domestica is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. A deciduous tree, it includes many varieties of the fruit trees known as plums in English, though not all plums belong to this species. The greengages and damsons also belong to subspecies of P. domestica.

Uses

The pulp is edible and usually sweet, though some varieties are sour and require cooking with sugar to make them palatable.

Other Prunus plants

Prunus adenopoda · Red stinkwood · Prunus aitchisonii · Alabama cherry · Prunus alaica · Allegheny plum · American plum · Prunus amplifolia · Almond · Desert peach · Chickasaw plum · Prunus annularis

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus domestica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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