woodland shrub

American plum

Prunus americana

Native to most of the USA and southern Canada

Southern New Hampshire to Manitoba and Montana, south to Florida Panhandle, Arkansas, Kansas and New Mexico

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Apr–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 35 ft to 10.7 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland shrub for sun through shade and evenly moist soil. At up to 35 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +154 more
Two-spotted Bumble Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Colletes inaequalis, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Golden Sweat Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Confusing Furrow Bee, Blue Orchard Bee, Wilke's Mining Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Neighborly Mining Bee, Taurus Mason Bee, Silky Striped Sweat Bee, Lucorum-group Bumble Bees, Cryptic Bumble Bee, Northeastern Sweat Bee, Spotted Nomad Bee, Slender-faced Masked Bee, Cresson's Mining Bee, Punctate Masked Bee, Orange-legged Miner Bee, Annulate Masked Bee, Long-lipped Miner, Hairy masked Bee, Blue-Phacelia Miner, Andrena fenningeri, Tridentate Miner, Red Mason Bee, Thistle Longhorn-Cuckoo, Osmia conjuncta, Little Masked Bee, Toothed Miner Bee, European Orchard Bee, Common Masked Bee, Ashy Mining Bee, Nomada affabilis, Buff-tailed Bumble Bee, Nomada bifasciata, Andrena rubi, Black Masked Bee, Short-fringed Miner, Coppice Mining Bee, Macoupin County Miner Bee, Large Masked Bee, Red-tailed Bumble Bee, Flavous Nomad Bee, Black Mining Bee, Victoria Miner Bee, Yellow-legged Mining Bee, Grey-gastered Mining Bee, Golden Furrow Bee, Grey-patched Mining Bee, Schuh's Miner Bee, Milwaukee Mining Bee, Birtwell's Miner Bee, Hylaeus cardioscapus, Lasioglossum sabulosum, Lasioglossum podolicum, Hylaeus glacialis, Hylaeus pfankuchi, Snowy Masked Bee, Hylaeus moricei, Andrena afrensis, Hylaeus pilosulus, Shrill Carder-Bumble bee, Early Bumble Bee, Common Carder Bumble Bee, Hylaeus bifasciatus, White-banded Sweat Bee, Lasioglossum aeratum, Lasioglossum subfasciatum, Hylaeus duckei, Hylaeus euryscapus, Hylaeus crassanus, Lasioglossum intermedium, Hylaeus alpinus, Hylaeus gibbus, White-lipped Yellow-face Bee, Hylaeus sinuatus, Small Shiny Furrow Bee, Halictus leucaheneus, Chalk Yellow-face Bee, Lasioglossum majus, Hylaeus tyrolensis, Dotted Masked Bee, Narrowed Masked Bee, Forest Masked Bee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, Bicoloured Miner, Garden Bumble Bee, Early Mining Bee, Lasioglossum tricinctum, Vestal Cuckoo Bumble bee, Hylaeus imparilis, Big-headed Mining Bee, Osmia mustelina, Tree Bumble Bee, Variegated Masked Bee, Lasioglossum glabriusculum, Buffish Mining Bee, Hawthorn Mining Bee, Reed Yellow-face Bee, Orange-footed Furrow Bee, Cliff Mining Bee, Impunctate Miniature Mining Bee, Blunt-jawed Nomad Bee, Red-tailed Mason Bee, Lasioglossum lineare, Hylaeus paulus, Fringed Furrow Bee, Lasioglossum marginatum, Trimmer's Mining Bee, Bombus ruderatus, Gooden's Nomad Bee, White-jawed Yellow-face Bee, Gredler's Masked Bee, Lasioglossum interruptum, Lasioglossum fulvicorne, Blackthorn Mining Bee, Hylaeus kahri, Broad-margined Mining Bee, Horned Masked Bee, Little Nomad Bee, Marsham's Nomad Bee, Furry-claspered Furrow Bee, Hylaeus difformis, Onion Yellow-face Bee, Tawny Mining Bee, Common Miniature Mining Bee, Lasioglossum lucidulum, Hylaeus taeniolatus, Short-horned Yellow-face Bee, Andrena carantonica, Hylaeus styriacus, Megachile pyrrhothorax, Yellow-spotted Cuckoo Nomad Bee, Megachile policaris, Dunning's Miner, Nason's Mining Bee, Andrena miserabilis, Mediterranean Furrow Bee, White-bellied Mining Bee, Violet Carpenter Bee, Forest Cuckoo Bumble bee, Plain Miniature Mining Bee, Perkins' Mining Bee, Green Furrow Bee, Andrena fulvata, Small Sallow Mining Bee, Small Scabious Mining Bee, British Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Moths Large Yellow Underwing

also Snowberry Clearwing, Lucerne Moth, Ipsilon Dart Moth +103 more
Black-letter Darts, Forage Looper Moth, Lettered Sphinx, Common Carpet Moth, Cinnabar moth, White Satin Moth, Bordered Apamea Moth and Allies, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Mouse Moth, Square-spot Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Marbled Carpet Moth, Northern Wave Moth, Common Quaker, Blood Vein, Dotted Fan-foot, Dark Brocade, Willow Beauty, Mythimna pallens, Muslin Moth, Silver Υ, Heart and Dart, Early Thorn, Dark Chestnut, Acontia candefacta, Wedgling Moth, Celery Leaftier Moth, Mythimna unipuncta, Shoulder-stripe, Brown Rustic, Thalpophila matura, Marbled Brown, Noctua janthe, Treble Lines, Neglected and Heath Rustics and Allies, Webb's Wainscot, Striped Wainscot, Scotopteryx luridata, Flounced Rustic, Round-winged Muslin, Litoligia literosa, Flame Carpet, Treble Brown-spot, Omphaloscelis lunosa, Common Pug, Mythimna impura, Green Carpet, Eupithecia linariata, Early Grey, Scarce Footman Moth, Scorched Carpet, Ruby Tiger Moth, Middle-barred Minor, Six-striped Rustic and Allies, Straw Dot, Eilema griseolum, Single-dotted Wave, Eilema lurideolum, The Snout, Pebble Prominent, Black Rustic, Light Emerald, Hoplodrina ambigua, Garden Carpet, Silver-ground Carpet, Hoplodrina octogenaria, Dusky Sallow, Frosted Orange, Clouded Border, Oligia strigilis, July Highflyer and Allies, Southern Wainscot, Purple Clay, Agrotis puta, Pinion-streaked Snout, Mottled Beauty, Eupithecia centaureata, Dotted Border Moth, Common White Wave, Herminia grisealis, Mesapamea secalis, Flame Shoulder Moth, Dark and Light Arches and Allies, Noctua fimbriata, Bright-line Brown-eye, Angle Shades, Agrochola lychnidis, Spilarctia lutea, Rosy Rustic, Bulrush Wainscot, Magpie Moth, Large Thorn, Double Square-spot, Scalloped Oak, Ingrailed Clay, Grey Shoulder-knot, Euproctis similis, Dun-bar, Clouded Drab, Hebrew Character, Brimstone Moth, Brindled Beauty Moth, Brown-tail Moth
Flower flies Common Drone Fly

also Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Thick-legged Hover Fly, Eurasian Drone Fly +49 more
Greater Bee Fly, Variable Duskyface Fly, Common Lagoon Fly, Orange-legged Drone Fly, Yellow-haired Sun Fly, Common Flower Fly, Hairy-eyed Flower Fly, Platycheirus albimanus Group, Bare-cheeked Bumble Fly, Yellow-legged Bog Fly, Platycheirus peltatus Group, Migrant Hover Fly, Marmalade Hover Fly, Ladder-backed Hover Fly, Spotted Thintail, Broad-fronted Sedgesitter, Mallota fuciformis, Melanogaster hirtella, Stripe-winged Drone Fly, Hook-barred Spearhorn, Yellow-bowed Smoothwing, Buff-tailed Bear Hoverfly, Spring Epistrophe, Tooth-thighed Hoverfly, Long-horned Straightvein, Black-tailed Aphideater, Stripe-backed Brusheye, Pipiza luteitarsis, Criorhina asilica, Cheilosia albitarsis, Parasyrphus punctulatus, Blotch-winged Hoverfly, Tapered Drone Fly, Xanthandrus comtus, Chrysotoxum cautum, Heineken Fly, Cobalt Deltawing, Orange-spotted Drone Fly, Eristalis (Eoseristalis), Large Bearfly, Platycheirus ambiguus, Melangyna cincta, Cheilosia morio, Chrysogaster hirtella, Furry Dronefly, Eristalis interrupta, Epistrophella euchromus, Yellow-spotted Sapeater, Sun Fly
Also visited by
- Butterflies:
  
  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral +22 more
  Painted Lady, Mourning Cloak, Eastern Comma, Anise Swallowtail, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Sleepy Duskywing, Small Copper, Marbled White, European Comma, Scarce Swallowtail, Green Hairstreak, Holly Blue, Libythea celtis, Speckled Wood, Incisalia eryphon, Large Tortoiseshell, Iphiclides feisthamelii, European Peacock Butterfly, Small Tortoiseshell, Green-veined White, Brown Hairstreak, Aporia crataegi
- Beetles:
  
  Asian Lady Beetle, Ant-like Longhorn Beetle +6 more
  Umbellifer Longhorn Beetle, Downy Long-horned Beetle, Protaetia cuprea cuprea, Apple Blossom Beetle, Blackspotted Longhorn Beetle, Flat-headed Root-borer
- Wasps:
  
  Eastern Yellowjacket, Metric Paper Wasp +4 more
  Common Aerial Yellowjacket, Bramble Mason Wasp, Prairie Yellowjacket, Ancistrocerus nigricornis
- Birds: Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Eastern tiger swallowtailhost & nectar
Canadian tiger swallowtailcaterpillar host
Coral hairstreakcaterpillar host
Pale swallowtailcaterpillar host
Red-spotted purplecaterpillar host
Western tiger swallowtailcaterpillar host
Dainty sulphurnectar
Eastern commanectar
Eastern pine elfinnectar
Milbert's tortoiseshellnectar
Mourning cloaknectar
Painted ladynectar
Red admiralnectar

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Most of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (40): AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Canada (3): MB, ON, SK. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Southern New Hampshire to Manitoba and Montana, south to Florida Panhandle, Arkansas, Kansas and New MexicoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–9 · Canadian 3–8The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Moist, rich, well-drained loamsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 5.0–7.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: LowHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 35 ft (to 10.7 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 24+ in (61+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Apr–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.