''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
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
an plums, ''angustifolia'' refers to its narrow leaves. It became the official
state fruit of
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
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
''Prunus americana'', commonly called the American plum, wild plum, or Marshall's large yellow sweet plum, is a species of ''Prunus'' native to North America from Saskatchewan and Idaho south to New Mexico and east to Québec, Maine and Florida ...
'' 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
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
from
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
west as far as
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
and
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, north to
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
, and
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, with a few isolated populations in northern
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
. 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
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
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
*
*
Oklahoma Biological SurveyUSDA Prunus AngustifoliaVirginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental ConservationFloridata Prunus AngustifoliaThe University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterKansas 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