Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Prunus americana Marshall
(American Plum)

Family: Rosaceae

Status: Native

Synonyms:
None

Prunus americana is a shrub or small tree that can form small groves in moist middle elevation creekbeds and riparian areas. The small umbels of flowers bloom in the spring before the plant leafs out. The bark is gray and obviously peeling away in larger trunks. The trunks can be up to 21cm in diameter. The flowers are white and the petals are about one centimeter long. The leaves are serrate and mostly glabrous.
Please click on an image for a larger file.



Prunus americana, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, April 19, 2009



Prunus americana, growth habit, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, April 19, 2009



Prunus americana, 1x field macro of flower, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, April 19, 2009



Prunus americana, bark on larger trunk, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, April 19, 2009



Prunus americana, lenticels on midsized branch, photo Russ Kleinman & Richard Felger, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, April 19, 2009



Prunus americana, closeup of winter twig, photo Russ Kleinman, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, January 5, 2010



Prunus americana, 3x macro of terminal bud and leaf scar on winter twig, photo Russ Kleinman, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, January 5, 2010



Prunus americana, 3x macro of lateral bud and leaf scar on winter twig, photo Russ Kleinman, Silver City just above Little Walnut Picnic Ground, January 5, 2010


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