Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Rosales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Prunus americana
FAMILY
Rosaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
Read more about American Plum at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Prunus americana
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9 (2014)
Prunus americana
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-22-003a:
Prunus americana var. americana FAMILY Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Prunus americana
COMMON NAME:
American Wild Plum, Wild Plum
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_594
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_pram_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_pram_005_lvd
)
John B. Nelson jbn_8648001455_6fb5d98acf
April Edgefield County SC
Flowers larger than those of P. angustifolia and P. umbellata, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
John B. Nelson jbn_8649104180_786d6900ae
April Edgefield County SC
Flowers about 1" in diameter, borne in umbels of 2-5 flowers, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
JK Marlow jkm140411_828
April Spartanburg County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm140411_829
April Spartanburg County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm140411_830
April Spartanburg County SC
A shrub or small tree, to 10m, sometimes forming small groves, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
JK Marlow jkm140411_833
April Spartanburg County SC
Short lateral twigs often ending in a thorn, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).
)
JK Marlow jkm220403_6465
April Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm220403_6466
April Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm230623_4152
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm230623_4155
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
)
JK Marlow jkm230623_4163
June Greenville County SC
Tall Pines Wildlife Management Area
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Prunus americana
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Prunus americana
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 9
Prunus americana
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 097-22-003a:
Prunus americana var. americana
FAMILY
Rosaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Prunus americana
1157
Tree
Perennial
Habitat: Upland forests, bottomland forests, fencerows, usually in mesic situations, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common in Mountains & Piedmont, uncommon in GA Coastal Plain, rare in Carolina Coastal Plain
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Armed with spinose spur shoots
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring
Usually white
Radially symmetrical
5 united sepals
5 petals
Numerous stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer
Red/Rarely yellow
Drupe
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p305
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 2nd ed. (McMillan, Porcher, Rayner, & White; 2022) p329
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p147
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p194
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p073
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p289
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p312
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p302
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p39
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p252
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