Two groups of varieties are clearly distinguished. On the one hand, the Japanese type (also called Japanese plum), having a smaller amount of seeds and a paler coloration of the fruit, both of the skin and the pulp, and being of early maturation. On the other hand, the Chinese have the opposed characteristics, that is to say, greater number of seeds, later harvesting and darker fruit colour. Among the main cultivated varieties in Spain we find the following ones:

Tanaka: it is a variety of late maturation with fruits of good size and extraordinary taste.

Algerie: this variety represents 80% of the production of Alicante; it is also widely cultivated in Almeria, due to its earliness. However, the fruits are of smaller size and worse flavour.

Other varieties are "Magdall" and " Golden Nuget" that are worse in taste, but of early maturation.