What kind of fruit tree/fruit is this?

July 19, 2009 1:14 PM

What kind of fruit tree/fruit is this? The fruit Looks like a miniature plum with dark red/brown skin only less shiny than most plums. It was smaller than a cherry. It tasted like a white grape and the flesh inside was almost as green as kiwi flesh. It had a pit almost identical to a Cherry pit.

Found on a tree in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. Sorry I have no picture. I don't exactly remember the tree...it was about 15 meters high, fruits grew one at time (not in bunches).

posted by Charlie Lesoine to home & garden (23 comments total)

Ok maybe it was the same size as a small cherry.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 1:29 PM on July 19

I would have said a sloe (aka blackthorn) from the size, but they tend to be more purplish and the taste certainly wouldn't be grape-like. Maybe a damson?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:35 PM on July 19

No the skin was dull dark red. The fruit was about an inch in diameter, and inside it was green.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 1:46 PM on July 19

I mistook it for a cherry as it is a similar shape and size.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 1:47 PM on July 19

Sounds like the fruit that comes off my Prunus cerasifera. Was the tree purple?
posted by jamaro at 1:51 PM on July 19

An opata?
posted by janerica at 1:53 PM on July 19

@ jamaro

no the leaves were green on one side and pale green on the other
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 1:57 PM on July 19

could it be a Wild and/or Feral plum tree?

Around here we get wild plum trees that are almost identical to plums that you would buy in the store, except that they are the size of cherries. Like this

A tip-off for these plum trees is that they have long thorns that look like short twigs, but are sharp.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 1:57 PM on July 19

@ ArgentCorvid
No thorns. The tree was bigger than a plumb tree. And the pit was like a cherry pit not a plum pit.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 2:06 PM on July 19

Prunus cerasifera comes in a green variety as well.
posted by elsietheeel at 2:11 PM on July 19

Or rather, a green-leaved variety. I believe the fruits are still red.

Also I have to ask... why eat fruit from unidentified trees?
posted by elsietheeel at 2:13 PM on July 19

@ elsietheeel
And isn't the flesh inside red too? This fruit was green inside...and it is ripe right now. They did look similar to this picture of Prunus cerasifera but there were a lot less of the fruits on the tree.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 2:31 PM on July 19

I ate it because it looked edible. : )
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 2:39 PM on July 19

Jujube? Aka, "ziziphus zizyphus," which is fun to say out loud.
posted by turducken at 3:12 PM on July 19

Apparently, there are lots of rare fruit trees planted around Los Angeles with yummy fruit, but these fruits are not generally good to travel to market (too fragile!) and so have never become popular commercially. I guess planting these was a prestige thing for LA residents, back in the day. I've come across similar tree treats, myself:)

I can't even hazard a guess at your question without a pic, but I suggest checking with one of the asian markets near Sepulveda, as these ornamental fruit trees in LA are often from that part of the world. And I think there is sorta a garden shop district over there as well (just past the 405 towards Santa Monica) mostly owned by Japanese or maybe Korean folks. I am CERTAIN they can tell you what it was!

Wait!! Could it have been some type of Pluot? They are a plum hybrid, very popular in California.

Also, try a fruit grower at your local farmer's market. You could also email Annie, the owner of Sweet Tree Farms. They are hyper knowledgeable about all things fruit local to Los Angeles. They may even grow this is their orchard, because Annie is way interesting like that.

Sorry I have no direct answer. Also, where in Mar Vista? I want to try it, too!
posted by jbenben at 5:51 PM on July 19

Jaboticaba (otherwise known as the Brazilian Grape Tree)?
posted by turgid dahlia at 8:45 PM on July 19

@Jbenben
Corner of Matteson and Bledsoe Aves. I'm leaning towards this being a cherry. The pit is EXACTLY like a cherry, just as hard rock like. I've just never seen a cherry with green flesh.

If anyone still cares, here's some video:



posted by Charlie Lesoine at 9:56 PM on July 19

posted by Charlie Lesoine at 9:57 PM on July 19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQplinyVYKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAo9Tv7UNFY
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 9:58 PM on July 19

Cherries grow in bunches, so I would guess a variety of tiny wild plum or cherry plum.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:27 PM on July 19

It's hard to tell from the video, but are the edges of the leaves serrated/scallopped?
posted by electroboy at 6:08 AM on July 20

@electroboy
The edges are not Serrated.
posted by Charlie Lesoine at 6:12 AM on July 20

Then it's neither a cherry nor plum. Both of them have finely serrated leaves.
posted by oneirodynia at 1:33 PM on July 20