Canada plum, Horse plum, Red plum, Canada black plum
Prunus nigra

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A very small tree. It grows up to 9 m tall. The trunk can be 25 cm across. The trunk is short and crooked and often divided into several branches. The leaves are broadly oval and 6-12 cm long. They have a long slender tip. The base is wedge shaped. There are rounded teeth along the edge. The flowers are white but turn pink. They are 15-25 mm across. They occur in small clusters. The fruit are 25-30 mm long. The skin is thick and red. The flesh is yellow and juicy and sour.

There are about 200 Prunus species. Prunus nigra Desf. is a synonym of Armeniaca dasycarpa (Ehrh.) Borkh..

Where it is found

Temperate. It grows best in river valleys. It is often on lime soils.

Countries/locations it is found in

Argentina, Australia, Canada, North America, South America, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are eaten raw. They are also used in preserves. They are stewed and used in jelly, pies, sauces, fruit juices, marmalade and plum butter. They are dried and used like raisins.

Fruit are sold in markets. It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, seeds

How it is grown

It forms thickets from root sprouts.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Prunus americana var. mollis (Torr.) Torr. & A. Gray;