The plums are a family of plants that bloom in early spring. They're the fragrance along river paths or old drainages. They have clusters of single flowers. Some have long, hanging panicles of flowers.
Native American plums grow in shrubby thickets and American plums have white flowers tinged with pink.
Members of the plum family best for early spring blossoms.
Mayday Tree
- A tough, durable, fragrant, flowering tree.
- It’s a round tree that grows about 20 ft tall.
- It survives in cold, exposed landscapes up to 8,500 ft elevation.
- It gets its name from the drooping clusters of white flowers that open around the first of May. The flowers turn into small black berries.
Canada Red or Red-Leaf Chokecherry
- Usually sold as a tree.
- Has bright green new leaves that turn red as they mature.
- Grown as a tall shrub it is useful as a backdrop plant, hedge or screen.
Double Flowering Plum
- A tall shrub or small tree also known as the Rose Tree of China.
- It’s covered with double pink flowers in April or early May.
- Double flowering Plum grows 8 to 10 ft tall and wide.
- It prefers well drained soil but is adaptable.
- It will grow at elevations up to 9,000 feet.
Amur Chokecherry
- A small tree with multi-season interest.
- It has fragrant white blooms in early spring and cinnamon colored bark in winter.
- Grows 15 ft tall and 8 or 10 feet wide.
- A great ornamental tree for small spaces.
- It grows at elevations up to 8,500 feet.
