Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Dadelpruim, Date plum, 君迁子 jun qian zi

Family: Ebenaceae (Ebony)

Distribution: Azië, W.-Pacifisch gebied

Hardiness: Zone 05

Life form: Tree

Comments: The date plum is native to south-east Europe and western Asia. The bark of older specimens falls off in rectangular sheets. The branches are yellow-brown and the buds are black. The leaves have a short petiole and are ovate in shape, with a short pointed tip. The date plum is dioecious: a tree is either male or female. The tiny female flowers grow in clusters of 2-3 flowers and are pink-white in colour. The male flowers are brown. The specimen near the glasshouse is male, which means it never bears fruit. This specimen was planted in 1740 and is therefore one of the oldest trees in the botanical garden. This is evident from the state it is in: not much is left of it. Since 2002 there has also been a young female specimen in the Fern Garden, which bears fruit every year. In the wild, the fruits of the date plum are round, brown-green and about 3 cm. in diameter.