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cherry plum, myrobalan, myrobalan plum, purple leaf plum

dwarf flowering almond, flowering almond

Habit Trees, sometimes suckering, 40–80 dm, not or slightly thorny. Shrubs, suckering, 5–20 dm, not thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, glabrous.

with terminal end buds, glabrous.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 5–20 mm, glabrous except for a few hairs on adaxial surface, eglandular;

blade ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 3–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base obtuse, margins singly to doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous.

deciduous;

petiole 1–6 mm, hairy on adaxial surface, eglandular;

blade narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–9 × 0.9–2.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous or slightly hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous.

Inflorescences

usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.

solitary flowers or 2-flowered fascicles.

Pedicels

(4–)10–18 mm, glabrous.

6–15 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

Flowers

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium campanulate, 2–4 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals reflexed to spreading, oblong-ovate, 2–4 mm, margins glandular-toothed to nearly entire, eciliate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial hairy at bases;

petals white (reddish pink in cultivars), elliptic to suborbiculate, 7–14 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

blooming at leaf emergence;

hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent externally;

sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate, 2.5–5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, ± ciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely puberulent;

petals 25+, white or pink, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 8–11 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

Drupes

purple-red to yellow, sometimes glaucous, ovoid, ellipsoid, or globose, 15–30 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ellipsoid to ovoid, ± to strongly flattened.

reddish, subglobose, 10–15 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones subglobose, not flattened.

2n

= 16.

Prunus cerasifera

Prunus glandulosa

Phenology Flowering Feb–Apr; fruiting Jun–Aug. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Roadsides, stream banks, canyons, chaparral Roadsides, fencerows, abandoned plantings
Elevation 0–900 m (0–3000 ft) 0–400 m (0–1300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; MA; MD; NH; NY; OH; OR; PA; WA; BC; ON; se Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
IA; MI; NC; ON; e Asia (China, Japan) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The purple-leaved, pink-flowered cultivars of Prunus cerasifera are especially popular for ornamental use. The earliest purple form was introduced into European gardens about 1880 by M. Pissard, gardener to the Shah of Iran. Prunus cerasifera is widely used as a rootstock for commercial plums.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Double-flowered cultivars of Prunus glandulosa, which lack stamens and carpels, are commonly planted as foundation shrubs and in borders. Although the plants are attractive in bloom, some horticulturalists consider them of little ornamental value otherwise.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 375. FNA vol. 9, p. 377.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
Name authority Ehrhart: Gartenkalender 4: 192. (1784) Thunberg: in J. A. Murray, Syst. Veg. ed. 14, 463. (1784)
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