Prunus salicina 'SHIRO' Japanese plum

Prunus

Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina) is a fruit species that only arrived in Europe during the 20th century, although its origins trace deep into Asian history. It comes from the region between China and Korea, where it was cultivated more than two thousand years ago. It spread to Japan as a cultivated crop, and it was there that it received its name – “salicina” refers to its willow-like leaves. Botanically, it belongs to the genus Prunus, just like European plums, apricots, or cherries, but it differs from its European relatives not only in appearance but also in taste and fruit texture. It is characterized by rapid growth, early flowering, and round, often very juicy fruits that ripen in the first half of summer.

Its breeding was notably influenced by American botanist Luther Burbank (1849–1926), who, at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, developed dozens of hybrid cultivars by crossing it with other Prunus species. His goal was to improve flavour, fruit size, disease resistance, and shelf life, laying the foundation for modern commercial plum cultivation worldwide. In Japan, this plum known as ume holds deep symbolic meaning. Its blossoms, which appear in the winter months, represent strength, renewal, and new beginnings. Traditionally, it has been a motif in poetry, visual arts, and seasonal celebrations – before cherry blossoms became iconic, plum trees were the centrepiece of spring hanami. The fruits of the original species were small and intensely sour, ideal for making umeboshi (pickled plums) or umeshu (plum wine), while modern cultivars are larger, juicy, and pleasantly sweet, intended primarily for fresh consumption. The plum thus bridges the worlds of plant breeding, aesthetics, philosophy, and everyday life in Japanese society.