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NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Prunus americana

American Plum, Wild Plum, American Wild Plum

Scientific Name:

Prunus americana

Genus:

Prunus

Species Epithet:

americana

Common Name:

American Plum, Wild Plum, American Wild Plum

Plant Type

Tree/Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Plant Family

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Native/Alien:

NC Native

Invasive Status:

(*Key)

Size:

6-12 ft., 12-36 ft.

Bloom Color(s):

White

Light:

Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Soil Moisture:

Moist

Bloom Time:

March, April

Growing Area:

Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills, Coastal Plain

Habitat Description:

Upland forests, bottomland forests, fencerows, usually in mesic situations. Generally infrequent, to at best fairly common, in the NC mountains and Piedmont, but scarce in some areas; not nearly as common as P. serotina or P. angustifolia. Most widespread in the southern mountains and eastern Piedmont.  It is practically absent in the NC Coastal Plain.

Leaf Arrangement:

Alternate

Leaf Retention:

Deciduous

Leaf Type:

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Leaf Form:

Simple

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Wildlife Value:

Highest Wildlife Value

Landscape Value:

Suitable for home landscapes

State Rank:

S3: Vulnerable, S4: Apparently secure, S5: Secure (*Key)

Global Rank:

G5 - Secure (*Key)

Blooms generally before the leaves emerge. The white flowers are about 3/4-inch across.

Forsyth County, NC

The Scientific Name is Prunus americana. You will likely hear them called American Plum, Wild Plum, American Wild Plum. This picture shows the Blooms generally before the leaves emerge.  The white flowers are about 3/4-inch across. of Prunus americana

Alison Northup

Links:

USDA PLANTS Database Record



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