Prunus simonii - Simon plum

General Information Common Name  Simon Plum Scientific Name  Prunus simonii Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  5 - 8.5 m (18 - 30 ft) Spread  4.5 -6 m (15 - 20 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Early Summer Color  Green Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  China

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Prunus L. – plum Species  P. simoni

Prunus simonii, common name is Apricot Plum also known as Simon Plum, is a tree in the genus Prunus. It has been important for breeding commercial plum cultivars from crosses with other species of the genus Prunus. It is widely and commercially cultivate in china. This species is cultivated for its edible fruit and has many cultivars.

 Prunus simonii is a small deciduous tree. The green, simple leaves are alternate. They are obviating, crenate and etiolate. It is growing to about 5 – 8.5 meters (18 - 30 ft) in height. It produces cluster of white five-satellite flowers in Spring. The flowers produce almost no pollen. 

The fruit varies in quality, can be bitter or pleasant to eat, and is flat in shape. Just like an apricot, the fruit flesh clings tightly to the pit. The taste is often bitter. Fruit production is not particularly bountiful. The fruit is dark red or "brick red". The branches are slender and the leaves oblong. In appearance, the fruit is flatter than most plums, looking "tomato-like". The fruit is especially aromatic, much more so than Prunus salicina, with a relatively high level of hexyl acetate, which gives apples their aroma. The drupe fruits ripe in summer.