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American Plum

Prunus americana

Thicket-forming wild plum that clouds the early-spring prairie edge in fragrant white bloom, then bears tart red fruit for jelly and wildlife. Suckers into protective hedgerows. As with every plum and cherry, the flesh is the food: the pits, leaves and twigs are cyanogenic and are not.

Family

Rosaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

15–25 ft

Spacing

15–25 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

April, May, June

Bloom colors

white

Wildlife value

pollinators, butterflies, mammals, songbirds, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~456 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY