Prunus ursina
Kotschy
Bear plum
(c) עומר וינר, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by עומר וינר
(c) יאיר אור, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by יאיר אור
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and has a pleasant sweet flavour. It is a plum-type fruit containing a single large seed. The seed can also be eaten raw or cooked, but avoid it if it tastes too bitter.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It mostly occurs on steep slopes and amongst rocks. It grows on well drained loamy soil. It will grow in shade but fruits better in sunny positions. Temperate.
Europe, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mediterranean, Middle East, Syria, Turkey, Türkiye,
How to Identify
Deciduous shrub. Hermaphrodite and insect-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline soil. Adapts to semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist conditions.
How to Grow
Seed needs 2-3 months of cold treatment for it to germinate. Seed can take 18 months to germinate. Seeds should be kept in a nursery for the first year before transplanting. Cuttings of half ripe wood with a heel can be used. Plants can also be grown from softwood cuttings or by layering.
Propagation: Seed requires 2–3 months of cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible, with protection from mice. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking up to 18 months. Prick seedlings out into individual pots when large enough to handle, overwinter in a greenhouse or cold frame, and plant out in late spring or early summer the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel can be taken in July/August in a frame. Softwood cuttings from vigorous plants can be taken in spring to early summer in a frame. Layering can be done in spring.
Medicinal Uses
No specific medicinal uses have been recorded for this species, but like all members of the genus it contains amygdalin and prunasin, compounds that break down in water to release hydrocyanic acid (prussic acid). In small amounts this highly toxic compound can stimulate respiration, aid digestion and produce a sense of well-being.
Other Uses
A green dye can be obtained from the leaves. A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Prunus ursina (bear's plum, Arabic: خوخ الدب ) is a species of prunus native to the woods of Western Asia from Turkey to Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Some sources include this species in Prunus cocomilia.
Notes
There are about 200 Prunus species.
Names & Synonyms
Erik
References (6)
- Davis, S.D., Heywood, V.H., & Hamilton, A.C. (eds), 1994, Centres of plant Diversity. WWF. Vol 2. p 340
- Dogan, A. & Tuzlaci, E., 2015, Wild Edible Plants of Pertek (Tunceli-Turkey). Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal 19: 126-135 (As Prunus divaricata subsp. ursina)
- Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 530
- Plants for a Future, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
- Rivera, D. et al, 2006, Gathered Mediterranean Food Plants - Ethnobotanical Investigations and Historical Development, in Heinrich M, Müller WE, Galli C (eds): Local Mediterranean Food Plants and Nutraceuticals. Forum Nutr. Basel, Karger, 2006, vol 59, pp 18–74
- Verh. K.K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien. 14:435. 1864
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