Back to Compendium NewCaution
Botanical Name
Prunus domestica
Needs Review

Details

The plum, Prunus domestica, is a deciduous tree of the rose family that includes many of the fruit trees called plums in English, and the greengages and damsons as subspecies. Wikipedia says it forms a large shrub or small tree, bears white blossom in early spring, and has a single large stone in each fruit. Cunningham calls it feminine, with Venus and water, and gives the powers of love and protection. He has plum branches placed over doors and windows to guard the home against evil, and the fruit eaten to inspire or maintain love. He marks the seed and the wilted leaf X, set out in the safety notes. Kynes gives plum no entry, so the entry rests on Cunningham and Wikipedia alone.

Caution

Cunningham marks the seed and wilted leaf of plum X, meaning not recommended for internal use.

References

#1#2

Correspondences

Elements
Water
Celestial Bodies
Venus
Zodiac Signs
No zodiac signs recorded.
Colours
No colours recorded.
Deities
No deities recorded.

Folk Names

No folk names recorded.

Categories

  • Love
  • Protection

Substitutes

No substitutes recorded.

Forms

Fruit

Cunningham has the fruit eaten to inspire or maintain love.

References

#3

Seed

Cunningham marks the seed X and gives no magical use for it.

Caution

Cunningham marks the seed and wilted leaf of plum X, meaning not recommended for internal use.

References

#4

Stem

Cunningham has plum branches placed over doors and windows to guard the home against evil.

References

#5

References

Notes

  1. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Plum"; p. 266.
  2. Wikipedia, under "Prunus domestica."
  3. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Plum".
  4. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Plum"; p. 266.
  5. Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical, under "Plum".

Bibliography

  • Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. 2nd ed. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2012. (EPUB.)1345
  • Wikipedia, under "Prunus domestica." Accessed October 23, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prunus_domestica&oldid=1330938610. Open the Source (opens in a new tab)2
Plum (Prunus domestica) | Sorrel & Salt