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Outstanding Features:
Fragrant white flowers in early spring. Tolerant of sandy, gravelly soils.
Description:
Height: 10-12'
Width: 10-12'
Hardiness Zone: 3a
The American Wild Plum is a small tree that can be quite effectively used in the landscape in the proper situation. It produces attractive masses of 3/4 - 1" white flowers in early spring prior to leaf emergence. The flowers are extremely fragrant. The plants are very prone to root suckering and usually form a thicket of growth from a single tree. Thus they are difficult to grow as a single specimen and should be used where a mass planting is desired. The 1" red to purple fruit are quite edible and can be used for jellies. They provide food and excellent habitat for wildlife.
Requirements and Culture:
All Prunus species require a well drained soil and a sunny location. American Wild Plum is quite tolerant of drought and a fairly wide range of soil pH conditions.
Limitations:
Suckers freely. Susceptible to several leaf
spot and fruit diseases which detract from the aesthetic appearance
of the plants but usually pose little serious health problems for
the plant. Susceptible to borers that infest the trunk when the
trees are under stress.
Selected Cultivars:
There are several cultivars that
have been selected for superior fruit size and quality. These include:
'Alderman'- has large burgandy red
fruit. A heavy fruiter.
'Superior'- has large red fruit. Heavy
precocious bearer.
'Underwood'- has a large red fruit,
ripens early (late July)
Photo Credit:
1 E. Hasselkus; 2 MLA; 3 Bailey Nurseries, Inc.
Minnesota Power | University of Minnesota | Northern
States Power Company
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AMERICAN WILD PLUM Prunus americana