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I live in Melbourne, Australia. I just recently bought a new house and in the backyard of this house there are 3 plum blossom trees (at least that's what I was told they were by the estate agent). The tree had bright pink flowers when it was flowering in spring and now it is bearing fruit and they certainly look like plums. The fruit started out being light green on the outside and a lot of them are turning dark red which I am assuming is the colour they turn when they ripen. I am attaching a few photos of the tree, leaves and the fruit. Could someone please help me identify the type of plum blossom tree it is and also more importantly, is the fruit edible?

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    Have you tasted them? That should be absolutely safe, just some were breed for taste, some for showy blossoms - and some bring both ;-) Welcome to the site!
    – Stephie ♦
    Dec 28, 2015 at 9:53
  • The seeds, skin and leaves look a lot more like nectarines than plums to me, but the flesh does have a plum-like look. If they're not completely nectarines, they're probably a cross.
    – Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
    Dec 28, 2015 at 22:52
  • @Stephie, no I have not tasted them. Didn't want to fall sick especially if they turn out to be inedible. I am going to wait a week or two until they are completely red and ripe and then I will try a very small piece of it.
    – Sid
    Dec 29, 2015 at 12:34
  • Sid, unless you decide to binge on something that tases awful, you'll be absolutely fine! Enjoy your trees!
    – Stephie ♦
    Dec 29, 2015 at 15:08

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Some plums are inedible, from having too high a level of cyanide in the fruit. Sometimes they will also have high levels of oxalic, malic, and tartaric acid that cause inedibility. All those things you can taste, so if it's not bitter, or super sour, and it tastes like your average plum, it's going to be safe. Just make sure they are completely ripe and soft when you eat them.

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  • Okay will wait till it is completely red and a bit softer on the outside before I taste them. So what you are saying is that if it is extremely bitter or extremely sour even after it is ripe, then it is probably inedible. Am I understanding you correctly? Also, if I do have a small bite of the fruit and if it does turn out to be extremely sour and therefore inedible, the cyanide in the small bite is not going to be harmful to me, right? Sorry, if this is a silly question. I am very new to this sort of stuff. Definitely don't want to poison myself.
    – Sid
    Dec 29, 2015 at 12:30
  • @Sid correct! Just take a bite. If it tastes good (a little sour is ok) you can eat it. If it tastes awful just spit it out. Even if you swallow it, that small amount of toxins wouldn't hurt you unless you are very sensitive.
    – J. Musser
    Dec 29, 2015 at 16:59
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Your plum rather look like peaches or nectarines!

But there not ready yet to be eaten. Wait until they are soft to touch and juicy, then it will be time to eat. Lucky you!

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Looks like the Chinese/Japanese plum The Japanese name for them is Ume and they eat them and use them for wine among other things. There said to be more like apricots then actual plums. Their known as the plum blossom tree and are a very historical tree for China and Japan and are famous for there blossoms.

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