Flower profile

American plum

Prunus americana

Native in the lower 48

American plum is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

43states

3of our state lists

4,719U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota

Quick look

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 Wikipedia's article Prunus americana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 43 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, South Dakota and Nebraska. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In South Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 24 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,409 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #62 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 242 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #57 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 240 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #60 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. ^iNaturalist

American plum gift ideas

Handmade american plum gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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American plum art print
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American plum greeting card
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American plum mug
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American plum earrings
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American plum embroidery pattern
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American plum sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,653 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	April–May	2,409
South Dakota	Native	April–May	242
Nebraska	Native	April–May	240

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), VT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: leaves, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “The pits contain cyanide compounds, which are poisonous. If a couple of pits are accidentally swallowed, it will not cause poisoning. The pits are more poisonous if they are ground up/crushed or the seeds are chewed. Fruit that has not been pitted should not…” They also note: “Although the plums can be eaten raw, the quality is somewhat poor. The fruits are perhaps better used for preserves and jellies or dried to make prunes.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Cherry” (Prunus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in the process of wilting: brick red mucous membranes, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, panting… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records American plum in 43 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Baca, Boulder, Custer, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, Larimer, Las Animas, Pueblo, Washington, Yuma.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Gregory, Harding, Hughes, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Perkins, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, Union, Walworth, Ziebach.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Antelope, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Brown, Buffalo, Burt, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Cherry, Cuming, Custer, Dakota, Dawes, Dawson, Douglas, Frontier, Gage, Garfield, Gosper, Hall, Harlan, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keya Paha, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Loup, McPherson, Merrick, Nance, Nemaha, Pawnee, Phelps, Polk, Richardson, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thomas, Valley, Washington, Webster, York.

More Colorado flowers

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Black raspberry

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PRAM.
iNaturalist, Prunus americana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Prunus americana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Prunus americana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: Colin Croft via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.