Rosaceae
Plum Blossom
Prunus mume
✓ Generally Safe
Caution in Pregnancy
Native to: China (cultivated Japan and Korea)
Also known as: Chinese Plum, Japanese Apricot Blossom, Ume Flower, Wu Mei
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA
Parts Used
FruitFlower
Therapeutic Uses
Chronic diarrhea (fruit astringent), vomiting and nausea (ume concentrate — Japanese traditional), chronic cough, bleeding, fever. Wu Mei (smoked dried plum fruit): classical TCM herb.
Herbal Actions
Astringent (fruit), antidiarrheal, antitussive, haemostatic, antiemetic, antimicrobial, digestive
Active Constituents
Fruit: citric acid (6%), malic acid, succinic acid, mucic acid, flavonoids, vitamin C. Flower: benzaldehyde, methyl benzoate, benzyl acetate, flavonoids (quercetin)
Preparation Methods
☕ Herbal Tea🍵 DecoctionConcentrate
Traditional Preparation Notes
| Herbal Tea | 3–6 dried fruits per 250ml, simmer 20 min, 2–3x daily |
| Tincture | 3–5 ml (1:5, 40% ethanol), 2–3x daily |
| Notes | Wu Mei Wan: classical TCM formula for roundworm and chronic diarrhea. Umeboshi (salt-pickled ume plum): Japanese remedy for nausea, hangover, digestive complaints — food-medicine. Ume concentrate (bainiku ekisu): digestive tonic. |
Safety Information
Safety Rating
✓ Generally Safe
Pregnancy
Caution in Pregnancy
Drug Interactions
None known
Contraindications: High acidity — caution in GERD. Caution in pregnancy (high citric acid content).
Side Effects: GI acidity. Dental enamel erosion (acidic). Generally very safe.