Plumnut Tree

The plumnut tree is a medium-sized tree that is related to the Cherif Tree, and when domesticated, is pruned to between 1.5 to 1.8 meters in height. It's one of the most plentiful fruit trees found in abundance on the northern continent.

This abundance is why it is the most domesticated fruit-bearing plant in the Balelands. However, the tree isn't native to the northern continent but is an invasive species. The plumnut actually originated in the violet grasslands found in the Southeast of the Southern Spires where it borders against Hikara.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The plumnut tree itself grows tall and not producing any branches until it reaches maturity close to its first year. Branches that form in that first year, then later seasonally in later springs, grow out in a fan-like shape that arcs out and down toward the tip. The branch as a whole takes on the same arc as a palm frond but has a structure more like a fruit tree.

Bark color is gray to brown-black with leaves of gold in spring, emerald in summer, then amber in fall. Blossoms form in mid to late summer with fruit being produced in the fall. The fruit of the plumnut tree is a fist-sized fruit covered in a flexible, wood-like skin covered in a soft blue fur. Inside is the fleshy part which is a purple, blue or red color. The seed stone lies in the center of the fruit and is usually 2.5 cm in diameter stone.

The soft blue fur droops down from each fruit and acts as an indicator of when the fruit is ripe. During development, the fruit goes through stages of growth. Initially, the 'fur' is nothing more than a light fuzz covering the outside of the fruit. As it matures, the blue fuzz grows until it reaches 12 to 15.2 cm in length. At this length, the fruit is ready to be harvested.

If the length is longer, the fruit can still be harvested, but the 'fur' will have lost its luster, and therefore most of its beneficial properties. The fruit itself will also have shifted from its light honey and melon flavor to a bitter, almost light charcoal, taste with a grainy texture.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The plumnut flowers in mid to late summer, bearing fruit in the fall. In a good year, with average rainfall, approximately 45% of the blossoms produce their particular fruit. If the weather becomes dry, then the tree actually produces a yield closer to 65% since the structure of the fruit evolved towards retaining fluid.

Plumnut Fruit

The purple, blue or red flesh of the fruit is prized for its subtle, sweet honey and melon-like taste and high nutrition when ripe. This fruit is considered one of the 'melting fruits' as the flesh has a lightly creamy texture when eaten from the shell. Many regions serve the plumnut chilled still in the shell.

In the fall, the fruit is harvested for use in many recipes such as stews, pies, travel rations, meads and wine. Some regions in the southern areas of the Southern Spires also use some of the fruit as an ingredient in candles as it will burn slow once mixed with juma wax. A single candle can last days due to the slow burn time.

Plumnut Wood

The wood, while durable, isn't as strong as other varieties in many regions. However, plumnut wood is desired for smoking and drying meat and for its buoyancy in water. Small watercraft are often made from planks of plumnut wood and then coated with a waterproof tar that has the plumnut 'fur' as a primary ingredient.

Plumnut "Hair"

The 'hair' or fur that isn't melted down for a waterproof coating is also used for weaving. This durable natural fiber can be used for weaving ropes, hammocks, and mats.

Plumnut Seeds

The hard stones in the middle seem useless but in fact, they also have a purpose beyond cultivating more plumnut trees. Seeds are ground to a fine powder then mixed in a herbal solution with eggshells, honey, and mint. The combination forms a chemical reaction that is known to be good to speed the healing of burns.

Plumnut Shells

The outer shell of the fruit is almost as prized as the flesh of the fruit itself. Durable and pliable, the shell is carefully removed then set aside for drying and curing. Curing a plumnut shell requires an hour repeated process where the plumnut seed shell is scraped to remove and lingering fruit from inside and then rubbed with a majovik oil. Once the oil is applied, the shell is then dried over a heat source for a half-hour.

During this time, the outer 'fur' of the shell cooks, forming a natural coating that has mild fireproofing and waterproofing properties. At the end of the half-hour, more oil is applied and the shell heated again. Then it can be used as a bowl or other cookware.

If the shell is to be used in the creation of items beyond bowls, the shell is first soaked in saltwater solution then shaped. After that, the oil and heat process is applied to harden the shell into its new shape.

Scientific Name

prunus caeruleum nucifera

Average Height

1.5 to 1.8 meters when cultivated, 1.8 to 2.1 meters in the wild