Chickasaw Plum

''Prunus angustifolia'', known commonly as Chickasaw plum, Cherokee plum, Florida sand plum, sandhill plum, or sand plum, is a North American species of plum-bearing tree. It was originally cultivated by Native Americans before the arrival of Europeans. While ''Prunus'' is the classical name for European plums, ''angustifolia'' refers to its narrow leaves. It became the official state fruit of Kansas in 2022.

Description

Chickasaw plum grows feet tall and wide in an irregular shape. It is "twiggy" in nature, and has a scaly, almost black bark. Its branches are reddish with thorn-like, small side branches. In February, March, April and May, small white flowers blossom, wide, along with red plums, up to long. The flowers have five white petals with reddish or orange anthers. The plums are cherry-like and tend to be quite tart until they fully ripen. They ripen in late summer. It requires low to medium amounts of water to grow, and dry, sandy or loose soil. It grows best in areas with regular sunlight or areas of partial shade. In sunny areas, it will be more dense and colonize thickly. In areas of partial shade, it will be thinner and less dense, and each plant will be more spread out.

''P. angustifolia'' is very difficult to distinguish from '' P. umbellata'', with which it hybridizes easily.

Taxonomy

American plum ('' Prunus americana'' Marsh.) hybridizes naturally with ''P. angustifolia'' to produce ''P.'' × ''orthosepala'' Koehne.

Distribution and habitat

''P. angustifolia'' is widespread across much of the eastern and central United States from Florida west as far as New Mexico and California, north to Nebraska, Illinois, and New Jersey, with a few isolated populations in northern Michigan. The species grows in dry and sandy soils, such as open woodlands, woodland edges, forest openings, savannahs, prairies, plains, meadows, pastures, and roadsides. It is listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an endangered species in the state of New Jersey.

Ecology

It is used by many species as a larval host, including the black-waved flannel moth, the blinded sphinx, the cecropia moth, the coral hairstreak, the elm sphinx, the hummingbird clearwing moth, the imperial moth, the Io moth, the polyphemus moth, the promethea silkmoth, the red-spotted purple, the small-eyed sphinx, the spring azure, the striped hairstreak, and the tiger swallowtail.The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press.

The fruit is eaten by various animals, and the foliage provides cover for nesting sites.

Uses

Chickasaw plums tend to bloom early in the spring before many other plants bloom, and require very little maintenance; as a result, they are often used in ornamental horticulture. They are often found growing wild along highways, especially in the southern U.S.

The -in edible fruits change from red to yellow when fully ripe. They may be eaten raw and are often made into jellies. Because of its attractive bark, small leaves and thin branches, Chickasaw plum is also sometimes used for bonsai.

References

External links

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Oklahoma Biological Survey

USDA Prunus Angustifolia

Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Floridata Prunus Angustifolia

The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Kansas Forest Service

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3010229

angustifolia
angustifolia
Trees of the United States
Plants described in 1785They grow around Beaver County Oklahoma and Lipscomb county Texas