Prunus umbellata explained

Prunus umbellata, called flatwoods plum, hog plum and sloe plum, is a plum species native to the United States from Virginia, south to Florida, and west to Texas.^[1]

Prunus umbellata can reach 20feet in height with a 15abbr=onNaNabbr=on spread. It has alternate serrate green leaves that turn yellow in autumn. Flowers are white, creamy, or grayish. Fruits are round, purple, and NaNsp=usNaNsp=us in diameter. The trees bloom and bear fruit later than other plums. The fruits mature August–October. Large crops appear only every 3–4 years.^[2]

P. umbellata trees can live up to 40 years and are very difficult to distinguish from P. angustifolia, with which it hybridizes easily.^[3]

The fruits are made into jellies and jams.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Prunus umbellata: Flatwoods Plum. University of Florida IFAS Extension. December 28, 2014.
2. Web site: Flatwoods Plum, Black Sloe, Sloe, Hog Plum. Texas A&M University. December 28, 2014.
3. Web site: July 15, 2011 . Plum Delicious and Native, Too! . Florida Native Plant Society . December 28, 2014.
4. Book: Little, Elbert L.. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Eastern Region. Knopf. New York. 1980. 0-394-50760-6. 507.