The native plum tree (Prunus domestica) originates from the Orient, grows throughout Central and Southern Europe, and is frequently cultivated in Germany for its fruit. But it is not only the culinary side, familiar to most people in the form of jams, plum brandy, and dumpling fillings, that is remarkable: the dense, hard, and relatively heavy wood has a light yellowish sapwood, while the heartwood is reddish-brown to slightly purple in color. With age, it takes on a beautiful deep dark red tone that is often indistinguishable from mahogany wood. It is therefore very much appreciated by wood turners, woodwind instrument makers, knife makers and a lot more craftsmen.The wood is often used for bungs, wind instruments, knife handles, and fine jewelry. In furniture making, it was also popular as a veneer in inlays, but also in flat and, more rarely, solid form, due to its exotic color compared to native woods.
