P. americana, P. maritima, and P. tomentosa produce fruits that are the most consumed. Some species' leaves and fruits are poisonous to humans and can cause serious stomach pain when ingested.
The genus Prunus is made up of trees and shrubs and includes cherries, plums, almonds, peaches and apricots. Flowers are usually white to pink with five petals.
| Plant Types: | Perennial, Tree |
| Light: | Full Sun |
| Height: | 15 feet to 25 feet |
| Width: | 14 feet 11 inches to 30 feet |
| Zones: | 5b to 8a |
| Bloom Color: | Pink |
| Bloom Seasons: | Early spring, Mid spring, Late spring |
| Leaf Color: | Green |
| Special Features: | All or parts of this plant are poisonous, Deer resistant, Not North American native |
| Shape: | Oval, Upright or erect, Vase |
| Fertilizer: | Miracle-Gro® Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food |
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Sow seeds outdoors in fall, in containers. Propagate deciduous species from greenwood cuttings in summer. Evergreens can be propagated from semi-ripe cuttings in midsummer.
Many species of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. Used as ornamental and for fruit. Alternate, pointed, oval leaves.
Evergreen species grow best in full sun or partial shade. Deciduous plants enjoy full sun. Plants are often short-lived.
Bushy species, like P. laurocerastus and P. lusitanica, work well for screening or as groundcovers. Other species, including P. cerasifera, P. incisa, and P. spinosa make good hedges. Shrubs make nice additions to a shrub border or wall.
Five petaled (or double) pink or white flowers, often borne in large rounded or elongated clusters followed by ovoid fruits.
Adaptable to moist soils as long as they are well-drained. P. laurocerastus can become chlorotic in shallow, alkilinated soils.
For trees and most deciduous shrubs: remove crossing shoots, annually, in late winter or early spring, to maintain a healthy framework.
For P. glandulosa and P. triloba: after flowering, on a yearly basis, cut back all stems to strong buds or shoots at the base to promote new growth. Flowered shoots of climbing species should be cut back to 2-4 buds from the base. Shoots growing outward or in to the wall should be trimmed.
For evergreen shrubs: shoots should be trimmed after the flowering period. Remove dead/damaged plant parts in midspring.
Deciduous hedges should be trimmed after the flowering period. For evergreen hedges, trim in early to midspring.
Leaf hoppers, nematode, scale insects, caterpillars, borers, aphids, and eriophyid mites. Other issues include powdery mildew, leaf curl, lesions, fireblight, mushroom root rot, canker, crown gall, and mosaic and ringspot viruses.