Botanical atlas

Wild Plum

Harpephyllum caffrum

Long before it found its way into suburban gardens, the wild plum was a forest tree that fed people, cattle, and birds alike along the coast of southern Africa. Zulu and Xhosa communities gathered the tart, plum-red fruit each summer to eat fresh or ferment into a mild traditional beer, while the bark was steeped and applied as a wash for skin complaints and taken in small amounts to settle the stomach. Colonial-era settlers adopted the fruit for jams and jellies, giving it the common name it carries today even though it is no relation to the true plums of Europe. It remains a tree woven into both kitchen tradition and folk practice across its native range.

Safety.

Wild plum belongs to the same plant family as mango, cashew, and poison ivy, and its sap and bark can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction in people sensitive to that family. Unripe fruit is quite astringent and can upset a sensitive stomach if eaten in quantity.