Plum

Plum is a deciduous tree 5–10 m tall with a broad crown; its simple lance-shaped leaves are serrate and alternate. White five-petalled flowers bloom profusely before the leaves in early spring. The drupe is spherical or oval, 3–6 cm across, with thin smooth skin — red, purple or yellow depending on cultivar — bearing a waxy white bloom; the flesh is juicy and sweet-tart, clinging to a hard brown stone.

Plum originated in China and is widely grown in East Asia; in Vietnam it is renowned in Mộc Châu (Sơn La) and Bắc Hà (Lào Cai). The fruit is eaten fresh, candied, made into jam, ô mai (sweet-sour preserve) and plum wine; prunes are a fibre-rich food. Plum seeds contain cyanogenic compounds and should not be eaten; traditional medicine uses ripe plums as a mild laxative.