COMMON NAME: Wild Plum, American Plum
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Prunus americana (Prunus is the ancient Latin name for plum.)
FLOWER COLOR: White
BLOOMING PERIOD: Late April, early May
SIZE: Small tree between 15 and 20 feet high with a spreading crown.
BEHAVIOR: Suckers, forming large thickets. Thorny branches.
SITE REQUIREMENTS: Tolerant of many soil types, including rich and dry soils. Full sun to part shade.
NATURAL RANGE: Southern and central Wisconsin. Western New England to southern Ontario, southern Manitoba, Wyoming and Utah, south to Florida and New Mexico.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Very showy for a brief period when in bloom. Fruit makes excellent preserves and is used by wildlife. May have attractive orange-red fall color. A good cover plant for nesting birds. This fast growing tree is good for landscaping under power lines, for a buffer strip or as a single specimen.
SUGGESTED CARE: Water well during first season. Protect from rabbits.
COMPANION PLANTS: Arrow-leaved Aster, Wild Strawberry, Sweet Cicely, Virginia Creeper, Black Cherry, Bur Oak, Nannyberry, Viburnum, Common Violet, and Riverbank Grape.