Canada Plum vs Black Hawthorn - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum vs Black Hawthorn

Prunus nigra

Crataegus douglasii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Canada Plum
Black Hawthorn

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Black Hawthorn is a versatile plant that is native to wetlands and other areas with moist soils, but can also tolerate dry soils. This plant can be grown as a short shrub, or a tree reaching 30 feet tall.

Black Hawthorn is valued for erosion control and attracting pollinators. It also makes an attractive flowering ornamental that can be planted as a specimen or pruned as a hedge. It is commonly used in shelterbelts.

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Black Hawthorn Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 8 m (25 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium


Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Fall colour: yellow to red
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Bark: brown to gray
Flowers: white
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Berries: purplish-black pomes
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum
Other Names: crataegus columbiana, douglas hawthorn, douglas' thornapple