American plum

Description

American plum

Latin: ‘Prunus americana’

Height: Up to 20 ft

Spread: 15 feet; plant 5 to 10 foot spacing for Shelterbelt purposes

Sun exposure: Full sun- partial shade

Hardiness zone: 2+

Root system: Fibrous, Suckering

Growth rate: Moderate – Fast

Lifespan: 30+ years

Plug material

The American plum, also known as red plum or wild plum, is a very hardy native plum. You can grow it as a small fruiting tree, or let it form a dense shrub thicket. Because it’s so versatile, people plant it for edible landscaping, wildlife plantings and shelterbelts, and as a pollinator for other plums.

In early spring, clusters of intoxicatingly fragrant white flowers cover the branches before the leaves appear. In fact, you can even make the blooms into a superb liqueur! Then, in fall, the green leaves turn a brilliant yellow.

By mid-summer, the tree produces showy, gold-and-ruby-red plums about 1 inch across. The fruit has a tart taste and yellow-orange flesh, so it’s perfect for preserves, jellies, jam and wine. Ripe plums fall into your hand at the slightest touch, and plums on the ground are another sign they’re ready. American plum is self-pollinating, so it doesn’t need a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This multi-stemmed shrub has a spreading growth habit, and its reddish twigs turn grey and form thorns as they age. Its roots also send up suckers, which makes it great for stabilizing stream banks and gullies. It isn’t fussy about soil type or pH, and it does best in average to evenly moist conditions. However, it won’t tolerate standing water.

Seedling size is approximately 12″ tall, 1 year old.