Prunus americana aka Goose Plum

Prunus americana, the American plum or wild plum, is a deciduous member of the rose family. It is native to central and eastern Canada and much of the United States. Its range runs from Massachusetts and southern Ontario west to Montana and Utah, and south to Georgia, Florida and New Mexico. In the wild it grows in woodland edges, pastures, old fields, stream banks and hedgerows, often on rocky or sandy ground.

The plant grows either as a small tree with one trunk or as a shrub with many stems. In gardens it usually reaches 10 to 25 feet (3 to 7.5 m) tall. Some sources record up to 30 feet (9 m). Spread is 12 to 25 feet (3.5 to 7.5 m), and the crown is broad and rounded. It suckers freely from the roots and can build large thickets. The crown often leans to one side.

Young bark is smooth and reddish grey with many horizontal lenticels. With age it turns rough, ridged and peels in curling strips. The twigs are slender and reddish brown. Some side shoots end in stiff thorns, which can reach 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm). The leaves are simple, alternate and toothed, about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long. They are oval to obovate with a paler underside. In autumn they turn yellow, sometimes reddish.

White, five-petaled flowers open in March or April, before the leaves. They are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) across and come in umbels of two to five. Sources describe the scent as fragrant, though some find it slightly unpleasant. The fruit is a round drupe about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. Its thick skin ripens red to yellow over juicy yellow flesh. Ripening runs from June in the south to August or later in the north.

American plum is easy to grow and tolerates neglect. It does well in full sun or part shade and in average, well-drained soil. It copes with sand, loam and clay, but one source says it struggles in alkaline soil. It handles heat and drought and is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Growth is quick, but the tree is short-lived. Gardeners use it as a specimen, screen, hedgerow or shrub-border plant. Remove suckers if you want a single trunk or less spread. Its thickets shelter songbirds and small mammals. Birds, turkeys, quail and deer eat the fruit. It feeds butterflies such as the coral hairstreak, viceroy and eastern tiger swallowtail.

Plum curculio and brown rot can damage the fruit. Leaf spot, canker and black knot may also appear. Insect pests include aphids, scale, borers and tent caterpillars. Repeated defoliation by tent caterpillars can weaken a tree. Deer browse the twigs and leaves. The plant can spread into nearby ground and become weedy.

The plums are edible, but raw fruit can be sour with tough skin. Most people cook them into jam and jelly or dry them. The leaves and pits contain cyanogenic glycosides. Crushed or chewed pits are the main danger, so never blend unpitted fruit. Swallowing one or two whole pits is unlikely to cause harm. The plant is also listed as a hazard for cats, dogs and horses.