Manor Cherry Plum vs American Plum - TreeTime.ca

Manor Cherry Plum vs American Plum

Prunus besseyi x salicina Manor

Prunus americana

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Manor Cherry Plum
American Plum

Manor Cherry Plum has a nice sweet flavour and a hint of astringency, making it a top Cherry Plum variety. They ripen in mid to late August and are well suited to fresh eating, baking, and preserves.

The fruit is closer to a plum than a cherry but is smaller than most plums.The Manor Cherry Plum has thin dark purple skin, nearly black when ripe and the flesh is purplish-red. The flesh is almost freestone and is tender and juicy. Similar to other stone fruits, it does not store for very long but can keep for up to a week in the fridge.

The Manor Cherry Plum is a hybrid between a Western Sand Cherry and a Japanese (Chinese) Plum. For fruit production, it needs to be planted with another variety for cross-pollination. Canada Plum and American Plum are considered universal pollinizers.

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.

Manor Cherry Plum Quick Facts

American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: rounded to spreading, thicket forming
Spreading: suckering - high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: leaves, stems, pits contain cyanide
Fall colour: gold to orange
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: nearly black when ripe and purplish-red flesh
Fruit: small, red plums
Fruit size: 2.5-3 cm in diameter
Fruit size: 2-3cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet flavour, slightly astringent
Harvest: mid to late August
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: SK, MB, ON
Other Names: manor chum, manor plum cherry
Other Names: american wild plum, wild plum