Plant · P-1025

River Plum

Prunus rivularis

River Plum is a thicket-forming deciduous shrub native to limestone woodlands, creek banks and canyons of the southern Great Plains. Dense clusters of small white flowers cover its bare branches in early spring, opening before the leaves and drawing early pollinators, followed by tart yellow-to-red plums about half an inch to an inch across that ripen through summer for birds and mammals to eat. It spreads by root sprouts into colonies over time, tolerates dry rocky alkaline soil once established, and needs little care beyond deciding how far the thicket is allowed to spread.