The Davidson Plum is a slender medium-sized rainforest tree that produces large plum-shaped fruits which are purple on the outside and scarlet on the inside. They are deliciously sour in flavour and work well in both sweet and savoury dishes, as well as jam. They contain lots of nutrients, such as lutein which is important for eye health. Another benefit of the fruit is its intense colouring which can act as a natural food colour or be used as a dye.
There are three species of Davidson plum, including Jerseyana, Pruriens, and Johnsonii.
- The Jerseyana is from the Northern Rivers region of NSW and grows naturally from the Tweed to the Brunswick River area. In NSW all wild Davidson Plum plants are listed as Endangered.
- Pruriens natural habitat is in North-East Queensland where the plant is not considered endangered.
- Johnsonii is a small bushy tree found in lowland rainforests in north-east NSW.
From November to February, these trees blossom with small pink flowers that later turn into fruit and can grow in clusters along the stem.
