Prunes Imperial Gage, Bleckers Gage

Wild plums were first cultivated by the Assyrians over 2,000 years ago, and then adopted by the Romans, who hybridized them. Pliny wrote of the huge numbers of cross-breeds available. The Chinese also cultivated plums early and developed the species P. salicina, the Japanese plum. It first came to the notice of western botanists who found it growing in Japan, and thus the association in the name. It was the Crusaders who are credited with taking the plum to Europe, where it was first cultivated in the gardens of medieval monasteries in England. About 1369, Chaucer described one such garden with its &quotploumes&quot and &quotbulaces&quot. In addition, several varieties of plum are indigenous to North America, but European settlers also brought other varieties with them. Today, plums are grown in virtually every temperate climate of the world.