What Is Needed to Grow American Plum Trees?

By Teo Spengler

Source: SF Gate

Photo Source: Monika G.

Small and scrappy, the American plum tree (Prunus americana) is a native of North America and knows how to fend for itself. The American or wild plum grows as either a multistemmed shrub or a single-stemmed deciduous tree with a broad crown. The plum's showy white flowers appear in early spring, and develop into bright red plums with tough skin and delicious flesh, better used in jams and jellies than eaten whole. Propagation

1. The American plum tree propagates from cuttings or from seeds. As might be expected of a species that generates myriad suckers, the tree roots from many types of cuttings, including dormant hardwood, softwood, semi-hardwood and root cuttings. You can also grow American plum from seed after cold stratification. Seeds planted early in the fall cold-stratify naturally over winter.

Location

1. This extremely tolerant species grows wild across America in woodlands, pastures, streams and hedgerows and can be cultivated in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. The plum tree shoots up 2 feet each season, whether planted in full sun or partial shade. It thrives as an understory tree in forests and will produce its own shade in your backyard: dense shade when it is in leaf, moderate shade when it is not.

Soil and Nutrients

1. The American plum is not demanding when it comes to soil and nutrients. Although it prefers acidic, well-drained loam, it accepts clay, loam, dry and sandy soils. This wild plum species is drought-tolerant and can survive with only occasional watering. No fertilizer or added nutrients are recommended.

Protection

1. One of the worst pests to attack the American plum is the American plum borer (Euzophera semifuneralis). The insect larvae bore into young plum trees, causing particular damage in the scaffold (main branch) crotches and graft unions. A severe infestation weakens the tree scaffold enough that it can crack and topple in high wind. You can treat infections by spraying carbaryl (is a non-organic pesticide - learn more in this weeks articles) on the scaffold crotch area every six weeks during the growing season.

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