The plum is the fruit produced by trees in the Prunus genus, which is a member of the rose family. The plant is native to China, the Americas, and Europe. The fruit is classified as a drupe, meaning it has a pit (or stone) in the center, similar to a peach and apricot. Healthy plum trees are prolific and the fruits fill every branch and limb, often ripening all at once.

Plums range in size, shape, and color. It can be broken out into two big groups: fairly round Japanese plums and somewhat oblong European plums. European or Italian plums may be sold as sugar plum, Italian plum or prune, French prune, or simply "fresh prune" since it's the fruit that is dried to make prunes. Japanese plums can then be broken into red plums, black plums (more of a dark purple color), and yellow plums. Both black and yellow plums have an amber-colored flesh under their skins.

The skin of the plum is smooth, covered with a white powder called a bloom, and edible. The flesh is juicy and, when preparing the fruit, the inedible pit is discarded. Plum may be baked, boiled, grilled, poached, or stewed and it's a relatively inexpensive fruit.