The fruit is eaten raw or cooked. The fruit has an exquisitely rich flavour when it is very soft and fully ripe, but the fruit of many cultivars is very harsh and astringent before then.

The peel of the fruit can be powdered and used as a sweetener.

The leaves are used to improve the flavour of pickled radishes.

The roasted seeds are a coffee substitute.

The stem bark is astringent and styptic.

The fruit is said to have different properties depending on its stage of ripeness, though it is generally antitussive, astringent, laxative, nutritive and stomachic.

The fresh fully ripe fruit is used raw in the treatment of constipation and haemorrhoids and when cooked is used to treat diarrhoea.

The dried ripe fruit is used in the treatment of bronchial complaints, whilst when ground into a powder it is used to treat dry coughs.

Juice from the unripe fruit is used in the treatment of hypertension.

The fruits, picked green and ripened in containers with the leaves, become very sweet and are considered to be antifebrile, antivinous and demulcent.

The fruits are also peeled and then exposed to sunlight by day and dew by night. They become encrusted with a white powder and are then considered to be anthelmintic, antihaemorrhagic, antivinous, expectorant, febrifuge and restorative.

The peduncle is used to treat coughs and hiccups.

The calyx is used to treat hiccups.

This is Plum Flower brand's nitrogen-flushed vacuum pack.

Plum Flower is one of the most distinguished herb houses in the world.

Sulfur Free, Chlorine Free, Aluminum Phosphate Free.

Sulfites are used to give herbs the appearance of freshness. As with dried fruit, unsulfured herbs look different than those that are adulterated with preservatives. Herbs that are preservative free are more natural looking and are generally darker. The brightness of the herbs may be appealing, but it indicates the presence of harmful additives. Despite their appearance, unsulfured herbs are more fresh and safer than regular commercially available products.

The use of sulfur, chlorine and aluminum phosphate was made unnecessary through the establishment of Plum Flower processing stations in China. Herb harvesters slice and process the herbs fresh, avoiding the need to rehydrate dried herbs later to process. This first step is crucial, as rehydration leads to decomposition and thus the need for preservatives.

The herbs are then packed and the packages vacuum-packed, injected with nitrogen, and sealed. The nitrogen process combined with the lack of sulfur treatment inhibits the growth of anaerobic organisms, resulting in safer, higher quality herbs. After opening, store in a cool dry place.

The facilities in Lanzhou and Guang Zhou, China, scientifically test each batch of herbs before, during and after the processing to make sure that all the active ingredients are present. Herbs are also tested to ensure that the formulas surpass all FDA guidelines regarding heavy metals. Those herbs exported to the U.S. are voluntarily submitted to the FDA for approval.

Finally, batches are regularly sent out for quality control testing in third-party labs to double-ensure that Plum Flower products are 100% free of pharmaceuticals, preservatives and dyes.

The Lanzhou and Guang Zhou factories are so clean, they are certified by the Australian Government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (GMP). These standards surpass any of the FDA, and are considered the highest for any government agency in the world.