Taxonomy

Scientific Name | Prunus americana Marsh.

Family | Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Other Common Names | Wild Plum, American Wild Plum, Goose Plum, River Plum

Plant Characteristics

Plant Type | Deciduous tree or multi-stemmed shrub (often thicket-forming). Perennial.

Sexual Expression | Flowers are perfect (containing both male and female parts). Pollination is primarily by insects.

Height | Typically m ( ft) tall, occasionally up to m ( ft).

Shape | Forms a broad, spreading crown as a tree. Commonly seen as a multi-stemmed, thicket-forming shrub due to aggressive suckering. Branches are slender and often have thorny lateral branchlets.

Lifespan | Relatively short-lived, but fast-growing.

Ecology and Distribution

Soil Preference | Easily grown in average, well-drained soils (sand, loam, clay). Prefers moist to dry-medium conditions. Tolerant of alkaline soil, but may do poorly in highly alkaline conditions.

Sunlight | Full sun to part shade. It is generally intolerant of heavy shade.

Tolerances | Tolerant of a variety of adverse soil conditions (clay, dry sites, wet sites, alkaline soil). High tolerance for drought once established. Extremely winter-hardy (down to USDA Zone 3).

Native/Cultivated/Invasive | Native to a large portion of eastern and central North America (U.S. and Canada). It is cultivated for ornamental use, fruit, and wildlife. It is naturally aggressive and thicket-forming due to root suckers, and may reproduce into nearby landscapes.

Habitat | Found in rocky or sandy soils in woodlands, pastures, abandoned farms, along streams, hedgerows, fence rows, open fields, and roadsides. It is a common species in human-disturbed or maintained habitats.

Range | Eastern and central North America, from the Rocky Mountains eastward.

Conservation Status | Listed as Least Concern (IUCN 3.1). It is a widespread and common species.

 

Care and Mitigation Practices

Management | If a single-trunk tree form is desired, suckers must be removed regularly to prevent thicket formation. Prune to shape.

Pest/Disease Mitigation | Prone to various problems common to the Rose Family, including Plum Curculio and Brown Rot (affecting fruit), as well as leaf spot, canker, and Black Knot (a fungal disease). Also susceptible to insects like aphids, scale, borers, and tent caterpillars.

Propagation | Propagated by seed (requires cold stratification for germination) or by rooting from hardwood, softwood, or root cuttings. Naturally regenerates strongly by sprouting/suckering.

 

You Might Be Interested In

No Posts Found!

Description of Plant Parts

Bark | Young bark is smooth and dark reddish-brown, often with numerous horizontal lenticels. As it matures, the bark becomes rough, scaly, and gray-brown, with irregular ridges and exfoliating (peeling) curling strips.

Leaves | Deciduous, simple, and alternate. Shape is oblong, ovate, elliptical, or obovate, cm ( in) long, with a sharply tapering tip. Margins are sharply serrated (toothed). Dark green above, pale green and smooth below. Fall color is showy, ranging from yellow to red or orange.

Buds | Small, pointed, reddish-brown with overlapping scales, arranged alternately.

Flowers | Showy, fragrant (scent varies from sweet to pungent), white flowers, approximately cm ( in) in diameter, with five petals. They are borne in clusters (umbels) of and appear in early spring before the leaves.

Fruit | A drupe (stone fruit), round, about cm ( in) in diameter. Ripens in mid- to late summer (July-September). Color transitions from light green to a shiny red, purple, or yellow when ripe. The pulp is golden yellow, slightly sour (tart), but sweet when overripe. Contains a single seed (stone).

Twigs | Slender, dark reddish-brown, often with thorny lateral branchlets that aid in forming dense thickets.

 

Uses, Toxicity, & Folklore

Uses | Food: The fruit is edible, often consumed raw when fully ripe, but its quality is variable (often tart). It is primarily used for making jams, jellies, and preserves due to its high pectin and acid content. Horticulture: Used as a specimen tree, for screen plantings, hedgerows, shrub borders, and as a natural barrier (due to thorns and thicket growth). Wildlife: Provides important nesting, loafing, and roosting cover for birds, and the fruit and twigs are a food source for birds, deer, and small mammals.

Medicinal Uses | Limited modern medicinal uses. Historically, plums in general have been used for their laxative properties.

Toxicity | The fruit is edible. Like most members of the Prunus genus, the pits (seeds), leaves, and bark contain cyanogenic glycosides (e.g., amygdalin) which can release highly toxic hydrogen cyanide when chewed, crushed, or damaged. These parts are considered slightly toxic to humans and potentially toxic to cats (and other animals) if ingested in sufficient quantity. Cooking and processing typically neutralize toxins in the fruit pulp.

Folk Lore | No widespread or distinct folklore identified, but the tree and its fruit are a historical staple for Indigenous Peoples and early settlers.