Prunus domestica

Prunus domestica, the common or European plum, is a small deciduous tree in the Rosaceae (rose family) that is an ancient domesticated species, known only in cultivation, that is now cultivated in temperate areas worldwide for its fruit. The species, which was first recorded in cultivation by the Syrians and then the Romans, and spread to western Europe during the Crusades, is likely derived from one or a combination of several Eurasian progenitors: cherry plum (P. salicifera); sloe (P. spinosa); and damson plum (P. insititia).

Other species known as plums include the American plum, P. americana, and the Japanese plum, P. salicina, as well as various hybrids and several other wild species. “Prune” refers either to a dried plum or to any of the freestone plum varieties, in which the pit separates easily from the flesh, which allows for the fruit to be pitted before drying. (Many plum varieties do not have easily removed stones, but these are generally eaten fresh or processed into juices, jams, or jellies.) Prune plums may be eaten fresh as well as dried.

The plum tree grows 9 to 15 m (29 to 50 ft) tall, and has reddish-brown twigs with few or no spines; young twigs are often pubescent (covered with short, downy hair). The leaves are oval to oblong, up to 10 cm (4 in) long, somewhat serrated or with wavy margins. The 5-petalled white flowers occur singly or in clusters of 2 or 3. The fruit is up to 8 cm (3 in) long, and is round to oval drupe with a hard, stony, flattened pit (with a smooth or slightly pitted shell). Fruit colors vary considerably across varieties, ranging from green to yellow to red to purple to black, often with a glaucous (white waxy) bloom on the surface.

Plums, which are high in potassium and vitamins C and K, and are a good source of dietary fiber, are eaten fresh, dried, or prepared into preserves, jams, jellies, and juices. They are used in baked goods and puddings, or as a condiment alongside meat dishes. They are used in various alcoholic beverages, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, including the plum brandy known as slivovitz.

The FAO estimates that the total commercial harvest of plums and sloes in 2010 was 12.0 million metric tons, harvested from 2.5 million hectares. China is the leading producer, responsible the largest share of the global harvest, followed by the U.S., Serbia, Romania, and Chile. Within the U.S., California produces more than 90% of the commercial harvest, with additional production in Idaho, Michigan, Oregon and Washington, for a total market value of over $80 million.

(Bailey et al. 1976, Boriss et al. 2011, FAOSTAT 2012, Hedrick 1919, van Wyk 2005.)

"Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of South West Asia"

"Tamil Nadu: Dindigul, Tirunelveli"

Prunus domestica L.:
China (Asia)
El Salvador (Mesoamerica)
Honduras (Mesoamerica)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)
Colombia (South America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Trees 6–15 m tall. Branches reddish brown, unarmed or with a few spines, glabrous; branchlets pale red to grayish green, sparsely pubescent. Winter buds reddish brown, usually glabrous. Stipules linear, margin glandular, apex acuminate. Petiole 1–2 cm, densely pubescent; leaf blade dark green, elliptic to obovate, 4–10 × 2.5–5 cm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent on veins, base cuneate to occasionally broadly cuneate and with a pair of nectaries, margin remote crenate, apex acute to obtuse; secondary veins 5–7 on either side of midvein. Flowers solitary or to 3 in a fascicle, on apex of short branchlets, 1–1.5 cm in diam. Pedicel 1–1.2 cm, glabrous or pubescent. Hypanthium outside pubescent. Sepals ovate, outside pubescent, margin entire, apex acute. Petals white or occasionally greenish, obovate, base cuneate, apex rounded to obtuse. Drupe red, purple, green, or yellow, usually globose to oblong, rarely subglobose, 1–2.5 cm in diam., often glaucous; endocarp broadly ellipsoid, pitted. Fl. Mar, fr. Sep.

Prunus communis Hudson; P. domestica var. damascena Linnaeus; P. domestica subsp. oeconomica (Borkhausen) C. K. Schneider; P. sativa Rouy & Camus subsp. domestica (Linnaeus) Rouy & E. G. Camus.

Widely cultivated in China [native to SW Asia and Europe].

Foodplant / open feeder
caterpillar of Abraxas grossulariata grazes on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 4-6
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / gall
Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes gall of stem (esp. base) of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / sap sucker
Brachycaudus helichrysi sucks sap of live, severely curled leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: spring-early summer, autumn
Other: major host/prey

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / shot hole causer
colony of Cercospora dematiaceous anamorph of Cercospora circumcissa causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
basidiome of Chondrostereum purpureum infects and damages trunk of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / internal feeder
caterpillar of Cydia funebrana feeds within live fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 7-8

Foodplant / pathogen
colony of Fusicladium carpophilum infects and damages live, lesioned twig of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / spot causer
colony of Gloeodes anamorph of Gloeodes pomigena causes spots on live, sometimes dwarfed fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Hoplocampa flava feeds within developing fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / sap sucker
hypophyllous Hyalopterus pruni sucks sap of live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 5-7, autumn-

Foodplant / pathogen
Monilinia fructigena infects and damages live, brown-rotten fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Monilinia laxa infects and damages withered leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
Mucor piriformis is saprobic on rotting fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / web feeder
hypophyllous, colonial Panonychus ulmi feeds from web on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 4-

Foodplant / sap sucker
Parthenolecanium corni sucks sap of live shoot of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / sap sucker
Phorodon humuli sucks sap of live shoot of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 3-6, autumn

Foodplant / pathogen
Plum Bark Split virus infects and damages cankered bark of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Plum Line Pattern virus infects and damages patterned leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Plum Pox virus infects and damages grooved, pitted, banded fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / parasite
Podosphaera tridactyla parasitises live Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Prune Dwarf virus infects and damages live, small, narrowed, thickened, irregular margined leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Prunus Necrotic Ringspot virus infects and damages live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / shot hole causer
Pseudomonas syringae pv. mors-prunorum causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / shot hole causer
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringiae causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / shot hole causer
hypophyllous uredium of Pucciniastrum areolatum causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
superficial, clustered thyriothecium of Schizothyrium pomi is saprobic on live fruit of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / gall
fruitbody of Taphrina insititiae causes gall of live, galled shoot tip of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica

Foodplant / gall
infection of Taphrina pruni causes gall of pale, shrivelled, covered with off-white bloom of spores fruit (later) of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: unusual host/prey

Foodplant / spot causer
hypophyllous uredium of Tranzschelia discolor causes spots on live leaf of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Remarks: season: 7-9
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Xyleborus dispar feeds within live cambium of Prunus domestica ssp. domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / shot hole causer
hypophyllous acervulus of Phloeosporella coelomycetous anamorph of Blumeriella jaapii causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / gall
Brachycaudus cardui causes gall of leaf of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
conidioma of Foveostroma coelomycetous anamorph of Dermea padi is saprobic on dead twig of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
erumpent pycnidium of Foveostroma coelomycetous anamorph of Dermea prunastri is saprobic on dead twig of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / parasite
Phomopsis coelomycetous anamorph of Diaporthe perniciosa parasitises live branch of Prunus domestica

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe prunastri parasitises Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Ganoderma lucidum is saprobic on dead stump of Prunus domestica
Other: minor host/prey

Plant / resting place / within
ovum of Hoplocampa flava may be found in ovary of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
stromatic perithecium of Leucostoma persoonii is saprobic on dead bark of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Magdalis ruficornis feeds on dead twig of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
Monilia dematiaceous anamorph of Monilinia laxa infects and damages live twig of Prunus domestica
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / feeds on
adult of Orsodacne cerasi feeds on anther of Prunus domestica
Remarks: season: 4-9

Foodplant / feeds on
Otiorhynchus clavipes feeds on Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
fruitbody of Peniophora versicolor is saprobic on dead, attached twig of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / shot hole causer
few, minute, immersed pycnidium of Phyllosticta coelomycetous anamorph of Phyllosticta circumscissa causes shot holes on live leaf of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous, scattered pycnidium of Phyllosticta coelomycetous anamorph of Phyllosticta prunicola causes spots on live leaf of Prunus domestica
Remarks: season: 9-10

Foodplant / parasite
evanescent, mainly hypophyllous conidial anamorph of Podosphaera tridactyla parasitises live leaf of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / saprobe
stromatic, immersed perithecium of Polystigma rubrum is saprobic on dead, fallen, overwintered leaf of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / sap sucker
Rhopalosiphum nymphaeae sucks sap of live Prunus domestica
Remarks: season: winter
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / gall
infection of Taphrina pruni causes gall of live fruit of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Tranzschelia discolor parasitises live leaf of Prunus domestica
Remarks: season: 7-9
Other: major host/prey

Foodplant / saprobe
stromatic, valsoid perithecium of Valsaria cincta is saprobic on dead stem of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / pathogen
effuse colony of Cladosporium dematiaceous anamorph of Venturia carpophila infects and damages live fruit of Prunus domestica

Foodplant / hemiparasite
haustorium of Viscum album is hemiparasitic on branch of Prunus domestica

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 9
Specimens with Barcodes: 14
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: TNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

These species are introduced in Switzerland.