Red Osier Dogwood vs American Plum - TreeTime.ca

Red Osier Dogwood vs American Plum

Cornus sericea

Prunus americana

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

Red Osier Dogwood
American Plum

Red Osier Dogwood is a small deciduous shrub that features deep red stems and twigs year-round, with creamy white flowers in the spring. This shrub will add a nice pop of color to your yard.

Red Osier Dogwood is an excellent soil stabilizer. It is fast growing and becomes drought tolerant once well established.

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.

Red Osier Dogwood Quick Facts

American Plum Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.7 m (9 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
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
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: gold to orange
Bark: dark red, showy
Flowers: white
Flowers: fragrant, white
Bloom time: early to mid spring
Fruit: small, red plums
Berries: white waxy
Fruit size: 2-3cm in diameter
Firmness: firm
Harvest: mid to late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no

In row spacing: 0.9 m (3 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: SK, MB, ON
Other Names: american dogwood, california dogwood, creek dogwood, dogberry tree, red dogwood, red twig dogwood, redosier dogwood, redstem dogwood, western dogwood
Other Names: american wild plum, wild plum