Prunus cerasifera x Prunus salicina

Ehrart, Lindley

Methley plum

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit 47,972 iNaturalist observations

iNaturalist· cc-by-nc

iNaturalist· cc-by

Summary

Prunus cerasifera is a species of plum known by the common names cherry plum and myrobalan plum. Native to Eurasia and naturalized elsewhere, P. cerasifera is believed to be one of the parents of the cultivated plum.

Description

A tree. It grows 5 m tall. The leaf blades are 6-10 cm long. There are fine teeth along the edge. The flowers are white. The fruit are 4 cm long. The skin is purplish red.

Edible Uses

The fruits are edible. Some varieties have sweet fruits that can be eaten fresh, while others are sour and better for making jam. Cherry plums are a key ingredient in Georgian cuisine where they are used to produce tkemali sauce, as well as a number of popular dishes, such as kharcho soup and chakapuli stew. It is a popular tree in Romania where its fruits are used for souring soups when immature, for eating raw when ripened, and for making moonshine when overripe because of their high sugar content.

Distribution

In Hawaii it grows and produces at higher altitudes.

Where It Grows

Africa, Hawaii, North America, Pacific, South Africa, Southern Africa, USA,

Also Known As

Mei li, Mei zi, Palama, Pulam, Puramu

References (2)

Food Composition Tables for use in East Asia FAO http://www.fao.org/infoods/directory No. 982
Staples, G.W. and Herbst, D.R., 2005, A tropical Garden Flora. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. p 476