Black Hawthorn vs American Plum - TreeTime.ca

Black Hawthorn vs American Plum

Crataegus douglasii

Prunus americana

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

Black Hawthorn
American Plum

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.

American Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America that grows as a small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub. Small, firm, red plums ripen from mid to late summer; the skin is tough and tart, whereas the flesh is sweet and juicy. While some enjoy eating them 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.

In spring, American Plum produces abundant white to pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, providing an important early-season source of nectar and pollen. It also serves as a host plant for numerous moth and butterfly species. In its native range, it is recognized as an important keystone plant, as it has a disproportionately large impact on local ecosystems.

American Plum tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, from acidic to alkaline, and heavy clay. 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 Quick Facts

American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 8 m (25 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: rounded to spreading, thicket forming
Spreading: suckering - high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: leaves, stems, pits contain cyanide
Foliage: contains thorns
Fall colour: yellow to red
Fall colour: gold to orange
Bark: brown to gray
Flowers: white
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: small, red plums
Berries: purplish-black pomes
Fruit size: 2-3cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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