Woody > Prunus > Prunus nigra > Prunus nigra
Prunus nigra
Origin: Northeast and upper Midwest (United States of America) and Carolinian Canada.
Mike's
Opinion
"
I first came across this tree a few years ago while visiting the Longwoods Conservation Area in Mount Brydges, Ontario, Canada. It was a hot August, and I could spot some squirrels foraging under a small tree, full of yellowish and reddish plums. The tree’s identification plaque read Prunus nigra (Canada Plum). I later found out that the many fruits were the result of beautiful, white, fragrant blooms, pollinated by early spring flying insects. Native to the Carolinian zone, and used by mankind for millennia, the beautiful specimen was carefully placed for display near the Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum, close to a Prunus americana (Wild Plum). Comparing both trees and trying to spot the differences between them made my visit even more interesting. This tree is specially recommended for naturalization projects where attracting wildlife is desirable, but it can also be used in the design of drought-tolerant landscapes.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Rosaceae |
| Genus |
| Prunus |
| Species |
| nigra |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4 - 8 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 2 - 7 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H5 - H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-35) - (-12) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-30) - 10 |
| Height |
| 6 - 10 m |
| Spread |
| 6 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Prunus nigra is a woody deciduous small tree or shrub with the habit of forming thickets. Its blooms are white, fragrant, showy, and appear in April, being an important source of pollen and nectar for early flying insects. One of our hardiest native plants of its genus, with juicy edible plums and colourful autumn foliage, it’s been cultivated in North America for millennia. |
| Landscape |
| Prunus nigra is a suckering tree. Suckers can grow quite a long distance from the parent plant and would have to be pulled by hand or the plant will soon form a thicket. The genus Prunus is highly susceptible to insect and disease problems, so it shouldn’t be considered a good long-term garden investment. Therefore, its use in landscaping should be carefully planned, but it can be used in restoration and wildlife planting. It can be planted as a specimen – its flowers in the spring make it quite an ornamental tree and it has beautiful autumn foliage too, or a hedgerow. The blossoms provide nectar and pollen to insects. The fruit ripens around August, and although sour, they’re edible and attract birds and fruit loving mammals, such as deer, fox and squirrels. The plums also host the larvae of the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), North America’s largest moth, and the coral hairstreak butterfly (Satyrium titus). Prunus nigra has strong, heavy, reddish-brown wood, but since this tree is not very big, its timber is not considered commercially useful. |
| Cultivation |
| Prunus nigra is a fast-growing tree that grows best in full sun. It prefers well-drained soils and can’t tolerate much flooding. This small tree can also be used in the creation of drought-tolerant landscapes. As for the soil pH, it does better in neutral soils (pH 6.5-7.5). Lastly, it is sensitive to soil compaction. |
| Shape |
| Prunus nigra is a small, upright branched, narrow-headed tree. Its shape reminds us of ornamental crabapples. In the Carolinian Canada zone, it rarely surpasses 11 m of height and 30 cm of diameter. This is a suckering species that forms thickets. The trunk is short and crooked, often divided about a meter above the ground. |
| ID Characteristic |
| Prunus nigra can be easily recognized by its habit of forming slightly thorny, clonal thickets. They flower early in spring (April, occasionally in May) before the leaves expand. The blooms are white, five-petaled, profuse, and showy. The plums are red and yellow and typically appear in late summer. |
| Habitat |
| Prunus nigra can be found in thickets, fencerows, prairies, old fields, woodland borders, and on stream banks. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| On young plants, the bark is reddish-brown to blackish with elongated lenticels. Older barks are greyish brown and scaly. The twigs are short, thorny or spine-like. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The buds are pointed, 3-7 mm long, and covered with smooth, brown scales. The buds are also pressed against the twig. |
| Leaf Description |
| Prunus nigra has simple, deciduous, oblong to oval alternate leaves that are 4-11 cm long and 2.5-5.5 cm wide. The teething of its leaves is blunt and tipped by a tiny round gland. The stems of the leaves are 1-2 cm long and they have two dark red glands on both sides. The leaves are dark green above, and pale and somewhat hairy below. Its venation can be classified as pinnate, with a prominent midvein and slender lateral veins. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers are white, have 5 petals and 5 sepals, about 20 stamens and 1 pistil. They measure 2-3 cm across and appear in clusters of 2 to 5. They are pleasantly fragrant and sometimes can age to pink. Prunus nigra flowers in April and occasionally in May. Its blooms provide nectar to early flying insects. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is 2-3 cm long and red-and-yellow. It ripens in late August, its flesh is yellow and encloses a flattened stone. The juicy plums, although sour, are edible and of great value for wildlife. The fruit’s skin is thick and not powdery. |
| Colour Description |
| On young plants, the bark is reddish-brown to blackish with elongated lenticels, but it turns greyish-brown as the plant matures. The fruit is red-and-yellow and flowers are white, sometimes aging to pink. In the autumn, the green foliage turns orange, red and purple. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Longwoods Road Conservation Area grounds and Ska-Nah-Doht Village. |
| Propagation |
| Prunus nigra tends to be a biennial bearer species. To propagate it by seed, the plums can be picked in late August. The stones are usually cleaned of pulp by fermenting or macerating, and water is used to carry off the pulp. The seeds need to be stratified for four months, either by being sowed directly in the field in the autumn months or artificially (should be kept at 1-3 C). Seeds kept at 1 C maintain high viability for up to 4 years. In the first four weeks after sowing, the seedbed can be covered to retain moisture, but the seedlings should then be left to grow in full sun. Transplanting is not challenging, given the fibrous root system of the plant. It can also be propagated by root suckers. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Prunus nigra pits of over 2,000 years of age have been discovered in archaeological sites both in Ontario and Ohio. Earlier explorers of North America have also witnessed the cultivation of these plants by native peoples. They used to dry the fruit to make prunes and juice. The stones were also used in traditional games. We can safely assume that, in part, Prunus nigra has been distributed in our region due to Aboriginal cultivation and peregrination. It can be considered one of our best native edible plants, and it can be used in the preparation of jams, jellies, and fruit leathers. Several hybrids of native-American plums, such as Prunus nigra, have been developed for over 150 years. A reason for that is, although Canada Plum is hardy, it has less commercial appeal than the Japanese plum species, that bear bigger, sweeter fruits. |
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