Tropical Plant "Ume"
Prunus mume

Characteristics - The Prunus mume is a temperate fruit bearer, originally from China, introduced into Brazil by the Japanese colony, at the end of the 1960’s. Initially unsuccessful, because of the use of inadequate cultivars, today, its cultivation is showing some success. It is a small, deciduous tree, 4-6 m tall. Leaves simple, chartaceous, glabrous, lightly bicolored, 3-7 cm long. Flowers solitary or in pairs, white, pedunculated, androgynous, form from June to August. The fruits are drupes, 6-12 g, with a firm pulp, an acidic and bitter flavor, with an adherent pit, they mature from October to December.

Uses - The fruits can be consumed in natura as juice, however, due to their natural acidity and bitterness they are consumed, mainly by the Japanese colony, in a pickled form, called ‘umeboshi’ and as liquor known as ‘umeshu’ as well as a jelly.

Propagation - By seeds, cuttings and grafting.