Northern Bush Honeysuckle vs American Plum - TreeTime.ca

Northern Bush Honeysuckle vs American Plum

Diervilla lonicera

Prunus americana

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

Northern Bush Honeysuckle
American Plum

The Northern Bush Honeysuckle is a small, dense, deciduous shrub. The trumpet-like yellow flowers bloom late spring to early summer. Dark green leaves turn yellow then red in the fall. The flower nectar has a sweet honey taste that can be sucked out of the flower.

Because of its aggressive suckering habit, the Northern Bush Honeysuckle makes a great hedge, shrub border, or thicket in a woodland garden.

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.

Northern Bush Honeysuckle Quick Facts

American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: shade, partial shade
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: rounded to spreading, thicket forming
Spreading: suckering - high
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


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


Native to: SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: SK, MB, ON
Other Names: low bush honeysuckle
Other Names: american wild plum, wild plum