Part 46

Habitat: Woods, thickets.

Range: Southern Ontario to Manitoba, south to New Mexico, east to Florida.

Distinguishing Features: The Wild Plum differs from other plums in Illinois by the absence of glands on the teeth of the leaves. The Wild Plum may have either smooth or hairy leaves and twigs.

WILD GOOSE PLUM Prunus hortulana Bailey

Growth Form: Small tree to 20 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 8 inches; crown broad and rounded.

Bark: Gray or brown, becoming scaly at maturity.

Twigs: Slender, reddish-brown, smooth; leaf scars alternate, half-round, elevated, with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Ovoid, rounded at the tip, reddish-brown, smooth, up to ¼ inch long.

Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong to oval, pointed at the tip, rounded or tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long and about ⅓ as broad, finely toothed along the edge, the teeth gland-tipped, green and usually smooth on the upper surface, paler and sometimes hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks slender, up to 1 inch long, with 1-several glands, smooth or sparsely hairy.

Flowers: Showy, several in a cluster, up to 1 inch across, with 5 white petals, appearing after the leaves are partly grown.

Fruit: Spherical or nearly so, up to 1 inch in diameter, red or rarely yellowish, fleshy but hard, bitter, 1-seeded.

Wood: Hard, close-grained, brown.

Habitat: Edges of woods, thickets.

Range: Indiana to Iowa, south to Oklahoma, east to Alabama.

Distinguishing Features: Wild Goose Plum flowers when its leaves are partly grown, thereby distinguishing it from the Wild Plum which blooms before or as the leaves begin to unfold.

OTHER WILD PLUMS

Two other wild plums are occasionally encountered in Illinois.

Munson’s Wild Plum (Prunus munsoniana Wight & Hedrick). Munson’s Wild Plum is a small tree rarely more than 15 feet tall and often forming thickets. It has gray or brown scaly bark, smooth brownish twigs, and small, ovoid buds. The leaves are oval and up to 6 inches long and up to 2 inches wide. The edges of the leaves are finely toothed, with each tooth gland-tipped. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth, while the lower surface usually has some hairs. The showy white flowers appear while the leaves are developing. The fruits are spherical or slightly oblong red plums with sweet, juicy flesh. Munson’s Wild Plum is found only in the midwestern states.

Narrow-leaved Plum (Prunus angustifolia Marsh.). Also known as Chickasaw Plum, this is a small tree up to about 15 feet tall, usually forming thickets. The smooth, brownish twigs usually have several sharp spines. Most of the leaves are lance-shaped and up to 2 inches long, and conspicuously folded lengthwise. The flowers begin to bloom just as the leaves start to unfold. The red, nearly spherical plum has tart, juicy flesh. The Narrow-leaved Plum is found mostly in the southeastern United States.

WILD BLACK CHERRY Prunus serotina Ehrh.

Growth Form: Medium tree up to 75 feet tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown rounded, with rigid branches.

Bark: Thin, smooth, reddish-brown at first, becoming deeply furrowed and black.

Twigs: Slender, smooth, dark brown; leaf scars half-round, each with 3 bundle traces.

Buds: Ovoid, sharp-pointed, dark brown, smooth, up to one-fourth inch long.

Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades oblong or oval, short-pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, up to 6 inches long and about ⅓ as broad, finely toothed along the edges, green, smooth, and shiny on the upper surface, paler and smooth on the lower surface except for rusty hairs along the veins; leafstalks slender, slightly less than 1 inch long, smooth, with 1 or more reddish glands near the tip.

Flowers: Crowded in showy, drooping, elongated clusters up to 6 inches long, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, each flower about ¼ inch across, with 5 white petals.

Fruit: Fleshy, juicy, spherical, dark purple, up to ½ inch in diameter.

Wood: Light weight, hard, strong, close-grained, light reddish-brown.