Throughout the world there are hundreds of varieties of plums. They are round or oval, one to four inches in diameter and almost any color: green, yellow, red, purple, and blue. Some have an attractive frosty coating on their skin called bloom.

The plum has been cultivated since ancient times and probably originated near the Caspian Sea. Plums came to the Americas with the first European settlers and have been cultivated here ever since.

Ripe plums are fragrant and give slightly when gently squeezed. Plums ripen quickly when set out in a bowl at room temperature.

To see profiles of more fruit varieties, click here.