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Rosaceae
Prunus

not marked as a favorite taxon Prunus americana Marshall. Common name: American Wild Plum. Phenology: Mar-Apr; Jul-Aug. Habitat: Upland forests, bottomland forests, fencerows, usually in mesic situations. Distribution: Maine to Saskatchewan, south to n. peninsular Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, Can, Fl3, FNA9, GrPl, K1, K4, Mi, NE, NY, Pa, S, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV, Robertson (1974); = Prunus americana Marshall var. americana — F, G, RAB, S13; < Prunus americana Marshall — Chap3; > Prunus americana Marshall var. americana — Il. Basionym: Prunus americana Marshall 1785

Links to other floras: = Prunus americana - FNA9

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: UPL
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
  • Great Plains: UPL
  • Midwest: UPL
  • Northcentral & Northeast: UPL

Heliophily ⓘ: 7

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image #1 of Prunus americana© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Prunus americanano rights reserved, uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik source CC0 | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Prunus americana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #4 of Prunus americana© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image #5 of Prunus americana© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Prunus americana© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image #8 of Prunus americanano rights reserved, uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik source CC0 | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Prunus americana© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
image #11 of Prunus americanano rights reserved, uploaded by Shaun Pogacnik source CC0 | Original Image ⭷
image #12 of Prunus americana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image #13 of Prunus americana© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

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plant sale text: American plum is a small, deciduous tree, often forming thickets in the wild from root sprouts. It blooms in early spring before the leaves develop with clusters of small, white flowers. In mid-summer, the green fruits ripen to red; they are quite tasty and can be eaten plain or made into jam. The fruits are smaller than cultivated plums, and a more "wild" tasting fruit. American plum has a wide distribution and can tolerate a variety of soil conditions. The genus Prunus supports up to 429 lepidoptera species.

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native range: Eastern & Central US and Canada