Allegheny plum adds seasonal interest with its spring flowers, summer fruits, and textured bark. In early spring, clusters of small, white flowers—often fading to pink—add a delicate touch to the landscape. By late summer, its rounded fruits develop a whitish bloom, providing an attractive contrast against the ridged or plated bark. The multi-stemmed shrub to very small tree is valued for its dark red to purple fruits and tendency to form critical thicket habitat for wildlife. It's found in the Appalachian mountains from New York to Tennessee and in the lower peninsula of Michigan. While it can grow up to 15 feet tall, it usually tops off at about 6 feet and spreads to form dense colonies in moist habitats. It adapts to a range of soils, with a preference for moisture and full or part sun. 
 
Native habitats include man-made or disturbed habitats, woodland edges, dry ridges, floodplains, meadows and fields, and along rivers and streams. Ideal for naturalized plantings, large borders, and mass plantings. Its ability to form thickets makes it useful for erosion control and wildlife habitat restoration.

Plant Characteristics:
Can reach 15' tall, but most commonly grows 4-6' tall, spreading to form thickets. 
 
Grows in full or part sun. Full sun produces the best fruit production.

Performs best in moist, well-drained soils and adapts to a wide range of soil types, including loamy, sandy, and clay.
 
Five-petaled, 1/2" flowers with long filaments and yellow anthers bloom singly or in small clusters in early spring. Fleshy drupes, nearly round and about an inch long, ripen in late summer.
 
Alternate, simple, ovate leaves are 2 - 3 1/2 inches long with finely serrated margins. Color is green above and slightly paler beneath. 
 
Young bark is reddish brown and smooth with numerous horizontal lenticels. Mature bark is moderately furrowed.
 
Reproductive System: Contains both male and female organs (hermaphrodite). Allegheny plum may be self-fertile; planting another tree nearby will ensure increased fruit production.
 
Wildlife Value:
Host plant for over 450 species of Lepidoptera larvae, second only to oaks (Tallamy & Shropshire, 2009). Showy butterflies and moths such as the Eastern tiger swallowtail, red-spotted purple, promethea moth, and clearwing hummingbird moth all lay eggs on trees of this genus.The fruits are an important food source for birds and small mammals, while the early-season flowers provide nectar for pollinators. Its thicket-forming habit offers valuable cover for rabbits, grouses, and ground-nesting birds.
 
Medicinal, Edible, and Other Uses:
All members of this genus produce the toxin hydrogen cyanide, especially in the leaves and seeds. In small amounts, this poisonous compound stimulates respiration and improves digestion. The compound has also been used to treat cancer.
 
The thick, juicy flesh is pleasantly acidic and edible. It's often used to make jams and preserves.
 
Warning: The leaves and seeds contain toxins that may be fatal when consumed in large amounts.
 
Resources:
Go Botany!: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/prunus/alleghaniensis/
 
OSU: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-5815#:~:text=Male%20and%20female%20flowers%20can,Photo%20by%20Heather%20Holm
 
Plants for a Future: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Prunus+alleghaniensis#:~:text=Edible%20Uses&text=The%20thick%20juicy%20flesh%20is,Seed%20%2D%20raw%20or%20cooked.
 
VA Tech Dendrology: https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=1143
 
 
 
 
 
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