What does plum smell like? The dark, jammy fruit of perfume

Plum is one of the richest fruit notes in perfume. It is not the light, juicy fruit of summer body sprays. In a bottle, plum usually smells dark, ripe and a little boozy, like jam simmering on the stove or a bowl of dried prunes. It has been part of some of the most elegant perfumes ever made, and it is a great way into warmer, deeper scents.

What does it smell like?

Sweet, dark and fruity, with a soft, velvety feel. Depending on how it is made, a plum note can show you:

• Jam: thick, cooked sweetness, like plum preserves or fruit compote
• Skin and stone: a slightly sour, tart edge from the dark skin, and a faint almond-like hint from the stone
• Dried fruit: the deep, sticky richness of prunes and raisins
• Wine and liqueur: a boozy warmth, a bit like plum brandy or port
• Flowers: a soft, rosy and peachy side that blends easily with floral notes

Plum rarely smells "fresh". Even when it sits at the top of a perfume, it tends to feel round and warm rather than sharp and zesty.

Where it comes from

Plums grow on trees in the Prunus family, the same group as cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. Two main kinds are grown for eating:

European plum (Prunus domestica) includes damsons, greengages and the dark plums dried to make prunes. The town of Agen in south-west France is famous for its prunes.

Japanese or Chinese plum (Prunus salicina) first came from China. It gives the large, juicy plums you often see in supermarkets. Today China grows more than half of the world's plums.

There is also ume (Prunus mume), often called the Japanese plum or Chinese plum. Its fruit is pickled in Japan as umeboshi, but it is actually closer to the apricot. Its early spring blossoms are loved in China, Japan and Korea, and some perfumes use "plum blossom" as a soft floral note.

How it's made

There is no plum essential oil in everyday perfume use. The fruit is too soft and watery to give up a useful oil. So a plum note is almost always an accord: a small recipe of other materials that together suggest plum.

Perfumers build it from pieces that each echo one side of the fruit:

1. Fruity lactones. These are creamy, peach-like molecules. They give the soft, velvety "skin" of the plum.
2. Damascones. These rose-and-fruit molecules add a dark, jammy, almost dried-fruit glow.
3. Sweet, cooked notes. Materials with a caramel or jam-like smell make the fruit feel ripe and cooked.
4. Spice and wood. Touches of cinnamon, clove or cedar push plum towards dried fruit and liqueur.

Each brand's plum is its own secret recipe, so plum notes can smell quite different from one perfume to the next.

A short history of plum

• Ancient times: Plums were among the first fruits people grew. Their remains have been found at very old farming sites, alongside olives, grapes and figs.
• China and Japan: The plum blossom became a symbol of strength and hope, because it flowers in late winter. In China it is one of the "Three Friends of Winter", with pine and bamboo.
• Medieval Europe: Plums were grown in monastery gardens, and drying them into prunes let people keep the fruit for months.
• 1944, Paris: Perfumer Edmond Roudnitska created Femme for the couturier Marcel Rochas. It used a plum-scented base to give a ripe, candied fruit note over a mossy, leathery chypre. It became one of the most admired fruity chypres of all time.

Plum in modern perfume

After Femme, plum became a favourite way to add richness and mystery. Féminité du Bois (1992), first launched under Shiseido and later under Serge Lutens, paired plum with cedarwood, honey and spices. It helped show that woody perfumes could feel soft and sweet. Its perfumers were Pierre Bourdon and Christopher Sheldrake.

In 2006, Tom Ford Black Orchid wrapped a dark plum note around truffle, patchouli and rum-like warmth, and became a modern classic. Plum also appears in many oud and amber blends, where it softens hard woods and resins. In the Middle East and South Asia, dark fruit with rose and oud is a much-loved style.

Real vs synthetic plum

Nearly every plum note you smell is made in the lab or built as an accord. That is normal, and not a sign of a cheap perfume.

• Natural fruit extracts of plum and prune do exist, but they are rare in fine perfume and add only a hint of fruit.
• Synthetic plum accords are stronger, last longer and stay stable on skin. They also let perfumers choose the exact style of plum they want: fresh, jammy, dried or boozy.

The best plum perfumes surround the fruit with good natural materials, like rose, patchouli and woods, so the whole thing feels rich rather than sugary.

What plum pairs well with

• Rose: plum and rose share a jammy, winey side. Together they feel romantic and dark.
• Patchouli: adds an earthy, chocolate-like depth, a classic in chypre perfumes.
• Oud and amber: plum softens oud's sharp edges and makes amber feel richer.
• Cinnamon and clove: turn plum into something like mulled wine or Christmas pudding.
• Cedarwood: keeps plum dry and elegant rather than sweet.
• Vanilla and tonka bean: make plum cosy and dessert-like.

Perfumes to try

Start with the modern ones, then explore the classics:

• Black Orchid by Tom Ford (2006): dark plum, truffle and patchouli. Bold, rich and long-lasting.
• Bibliothèque by Byredo: plum and peach over soft leather and vanilla. Warm, cosy and quiet.
• Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens (1992): plum, cedar, honey and spice. A soft, unusual woody scent.
• Femme by Rochas (1944): the classic fruity chypre. Olivier Cresp reworked it in 1989 and added a bold cumin note.

How to wear plum

• Plum shines in autumn and winter. Its warm, jammy feel loves cold air.
• For daytime, look for plum mixed with florals or light woods. For evenings, try plum with patchouli, oud or amber.
• Many plum perfumes are strong. Start with one or two sprays.
• Plum is not "only for women". Plum with woods, spice or oud works for anyone.

Who will love it

People who love rich, warm and slightly mysterious scents. If you enjoy dark chocolate, red wine, fruit cake or spiced desserts, plum is worth exploring. If you usually find fruity perfumes too sweet or childish, a plum chypre or a plum-and-cedar scent may change your mind.