Hog plum is a small native North American tree or large shrub in the rose family, grown mainly for its edible purple plums. It needs full sun and well-drained soil, and fruits reliably only in some years.
Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply during dry spells while young, then rely mostly on rainfall.
Soil
Well-drained soil; tolerates sandy, clay and acidic soils.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters; tolerates a wide range of temperatures typical of its eastern U.S. range.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic: Seeds and leaves of Prunus species can release cyanide, so the pits and leaves should not be eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
E. U.S.A. to Texas
Climate
temperate
About
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.
Prunus umbellata can reach 6.1 meters (20 feet) in height with a 4.6 m (15 ft) spread. It has alternate serrate green leaves that turn yellow in autumn. Flowers are white, creamy, or grayish. Fruits are round, purple, and 1.3–2.5 centimeters (1⁄2–1 inch) 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.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus umbellata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.