Sloe cherry, Flatwood plum, Black sloe, Sloe-of-the-South, Southern sloe
Prunus umbellata
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
A small tree. The trunk is short. The crown is broad and flattened. It can form thickets. It grows 6 m high. The trunk is 15 cm across. The bark is dark brown and scaly. The leaves are 4-7 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They are narrowly oval and have fine teeth along the edge. They are dark green above and paler underneath. The flowers are 15 mm wide and have 5 rounded white petals. There are 2-5 flowers in a cluster. They are on slender equal length stalks. The fruit is a plum. It is 10-15 mm wide and the skin can be black, red or yellow. The pulp is thick and sour. The stone is oval.
There are about 200 Prunus species.
Where it is found
Temperate. It grows along streams and in sandy or rocky slopes. It grows to 300 m altitude in the SE region of USA.
Countries/locations it is found in
North America, USA
How it is used for food
The fruit is used in preserves. They are used for jellies and jams.
Edible parts
Fruit, seeds