Cherries and Plums Native to Central Florida
Cherries and plums are in the Rosaceae family of plants. This family includes our native serviceberry (Amelanchier), red chokeberry (Aronia), hawthorn (Crataegus), crabapples (Malus), plums & cherries (Prunus), blackberries (Rubus), and roses (Rosa). In this plant profile I’m focusing on the cherries and plums that are native to central Florida.
All cherry and plums in the genus Prunus are monoecious which means they have perfect flowers that have both male and female parts so a single tree will produce fruit.
Cherries
In Central Florida we have two species of native cherries and they include the Carolina laurelcherry and the black cherry. Of course these are nothing like the domesticated sweet cherries that are sold at the store. They are small and not very sweet but provide an amazing source of food for our local wildlife. Gamebirds such as quail and turkey, our larger songbirds, gray foxes and mice eat the cherries. Deer and rabbits like to eat the twigs, foliage and bark.
“Wild cherries are among our most important wildlife food plants” [1] Print book American Wildlife and Plants: A Guide To Wildlife Food Habits Paperback – November 16, 2011
by Alexander C. Martin (Author), Herbert S. Zim (Author), Arnold L. Nelson (Author)
Prunus caroliniana
(Carolina laurelcherry)
Form: Cherry laurel is a native, evergreen, tree that grows to 35 feet in height.
Leaves: evergreen, alternate and simple with a leathery texture. Leaf margins generally have small teeth, however some may not. They are 2 to 5 inches long and 1/2 to 11/2 inches wide.
Flowers: white, fragrant, flowers appear in racemes in late winter and early spring.
Fruit: a shiny, black, purple, drupe (a fruit containing one large pit/seed).
Habitat: open forests, disturbed sites, and fence rows, and anywhere birds deposit the seeds.
Native Range: in Florida it is found from Broward county northward.
It is native to Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
Landscape Use: it grows in full sun to part shade with average to moist soils. It is hardy and drought tolerant once established. One thing to keep in mind is that uneaten fruit will sprout underneath the tree once it drops so you will have an abundance of seedlings. They transplant very well so it may be a good thing.
Wildlife Use: bees and butterflies use the flowers as a nectar source. Songbirds and mammals eat the dark purple fruit.
Propagation: it grows easily from seed as well as transplants and root cuttings. It is prolific at fruit production and if you don’t have enough wildlife consuming them seedlings will come up all around the base of the adult trees. They are easily pulled out to either compost or transplant to other areas.
Prunus serotina
(Black Cherry)
Form: black cherry is a medium sized deciduous tree that grows to a height of 100 feet.
Leaves: its leaves are alternate with simple margins. The surface is a shiny green. They grow to 2 to 6 inches in length and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. The leaf margins are serrated and each serration is tipped with a tiny gland. The petioles are grooved and upon magnification small glands can be seen.
Flowers: the small white flowers are born in long, drooping, racemes that can be 3 to 4 inches in length.
Fruit: black cherry fruit is a shiny drupe (a drupe is a thin skinned fruit that contains one single seed or pit in the center. During their stages of ripening they change color from yellow to orange to red and then deep purple.
Habitat: it is found naturally occurring in mixed lowland forests, upland forests, fence rows, stream banks, disturbed sites and underneath places where birds are likely to deposit the seeds in their droppings.
Native Range: the black cherry (Prunus serotina) occurs throughout the state southward down to Desoto County.
Black cherry is also found in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, and WV. Also north into Canada.
Landscape Use: in the home landscape they can be used as specimen trees or to create naturalized areas. They tolerate dry to moist soils and will grow in part shade to full sun. They get very large so be mindful of planting them too close to structures or septic systems.
Wildlife Uses: the cherries are eaten by a wide variety of wildlife including songbirds and mammals.
Human Uses: “The cherries, which taste bittersweet, may be eaten raw and can been used in jellies/jams and also as a flavor extract in syrups, though commercial cultivation of black cherry is not highly common. Native Americans consumed the fruit of Prunus serotina raw and also in breads and cakes (as the Iroquois did).” [2] website https://naturewalk.yale.edu/trees/rosaceae/prunus-serotina/wild-black-cherry-61#:~:text=The%20cherries%2C%20which%20taste%20bittersweet,(as%20the%20Iroquois%20did).
Propagation: the black cherry can be grown from seed, but is much easier to transplant small saplings. Look underneath powerlines and other places where birds perch to find them.
Plums
We have four species of native plums in central Florida and they include the American plum, chickasaw plum, scrub plum, and flatwoods plum.
Wild plums can be made into jam, but they are sour so they are better suited to a chutney type recipe in my opinion. However if you can keep the animals away and let the plums ripen on the tree they will be much sweeter.
Prunus americana
(American Plum)
Form: the American plum grows to a height of about 36 feet. Some branches have spines along them. The bark becomes shaggy with age because chunks of it begin to curl and exfoliate.
Leaves: alternate, simple and elliptic in shape. The leaves are 1 1/2 to 4 3/4 inches in length and 1 to 2 inches wide.
The margins can be serrate or doubly serrate. The leaf tip, or apice, is tapered to a narrow point and has a gland at the end.
Flowers: the white flowers are fragrant with five petals that turn pink as they age. They appear in the spring in clusters of two to five and are about an inch wide.
Fruit: the small plums are about 1/2 an inch to an inch in diameter. They start out being a yellowish color and turn to a deep red.
Habitat: American plum occurs naturally in forests with a limestone substrate.
Native range: the American plum (Prunus americana) occurs from Lake County northward but will grow farther south.
It also occurs naturally in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY.
Landscape use: it grows in full sun with average to moist soils. It can be grown as a specimen tree however it is thicket forming so keep that in mind because it most likely won’t stay as a single tree.
Wildlife use: the flowers are a favorite nectar source for bumblebees and hummingbirds and the plums are eaten by a variety of wildlife.
Human Uses: the plums can be made into jam, but are sour so I find them best used for spicy chutneys.
Propagation: Transplanting young trees, seedlings, or saplings is usually very successful. Plums can also be grown from seed but it takes patience and time.
“Propagation from Seed: Harvest the fruit in the summer when ripe (the fruit turns dark purple), usually in late August. Remove the pulp or fruit from the seed. Seeds can be extracted by maceration and recovered by flotation. Natural germination predominately occurs in the first or second year after seedfall.” Planting Guide for Wild Plum
Prunus angustifolia
(Chickasaw Plum)
Form: the chickasaw plum grows to a height of about 24 feet. It is a thicket forming type of wild plum.
Leaves: alternate and simple. Lanceolate in shape with stiff midribs which cause the leaf to reflex upwards. The leaves are 1 1/8 to 3 inches in length and 1/2 to 1 inch in width.
The leaf margins are finely serrate with the tips of the serrations having very small yellow or red glands at the tips [Prunus umbellata does not have glands].
Flowers: the flowers are white and fragrant and about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Fruit: the small plums range in color from yellow to golden to red and are about 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter. They are very tart and lack the whitish coating that Prunus umbellata fruit has.
Habitat: it grows in woodland edges, open dry hammocks, fencerows, and disturbed sites.
Native range: the chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) occurs from Tampa northward.
It is also found in the following states: AL, AR, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, and VA.
Landscape use: it grows in full sun with dry to average soil moisture.
Wildlife use: the flowers are a favorite nectar source for bumblebees and hummingbirds and the plums are eaten by a variety of wildlife.
Human Uses: the plums can be made into a jam, but are sour so I find them best used for spicy chutneys.
Propagation: Transplanting young trees, seedlings, or saplings is usually very successful. Plums can also be grown from seed but it takes patience and time.
“Propagation from Seed: Harvest the fruit in the summer when ripe (the fruit turns dark purple), usually in late August. Remove the pulp or fruit from the seed. Seeds can be extracted by maceration and recovered by flotation. Natural germination predominately occurs in the first or second year after seedfall.” Planting Guide for Wild Plum
Prunus geniculata
(Scrub Plum)
Form: a small deciduous shrub that only gets to a mature height of 5 feet. Its branches are distinctly zigzagged and are bent at sharp angles. The name geniculata refers to the word geniculate which means bent at a sharp angle.
Leaves: alternate with finely crenate to serrate margins that may not be visible to the naked eye. The petioles can be about half the length of the leaf blade. The leaves are only 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch long.
Flowers: the flowers appear in the winter with white petals and pink sepals. The flowers are sessile which means they do not have stalks.
Fruit: scrub plums are very small and reddish only growing to about 1 inch in diameter.
Habitat: scrub plum occurs naturally in scrub and sandhill habitats.
Native range: it only occurs in Florida. The scrub plum (Prunus geniculata) occurs in the inland portion of central Florida and is on the endangered species list.
The only counties with vouchered specimens in the herbarium are in Highlands, Lake, Orange, and Polk Counties.
Landscape use: it grows in part shade to full sun with dry sandy soil and is an exceptional candidate for xeric landscaping.
Wildlife use: the flowers are a favorite nectar source for bumblebees and hummingbirds and the plums are eaten by a variety of wildlife.
Human Uses: the plums can be made into a jam, but are sour so I find them best used for spicy chutneys.
Propagation: Transplanting young trees, seedlings, or saplings is usually very successful. Plums can also be grown from seed but it takes patience and time.
“Propagation from Seed: Harvest the fruit in the summer when ripe (the fruit turns dark purple), usually in late August. Remove the pulp or fruit from the seed. Seeds can be extracted by maceration and recovered by flotation. Natural germination predominately occurs in the first or second year after seedfall.” Planting Guide for Wild Plum
Prunus umbellata
(Flatwoods Plum)
Form: the flatwoods plum is a deciduous tree that grows to a height of about 20 feet.
Leaves: alternate, simple and oval to elliptic in shape. They are 3/4 to 2 1/3 inches in length by 1/2 to 1 1/8 inches wide. The margins are serrate. The serrate tips do not have glands. The leaf apices (tips) are sharply pointed.
Flowers: the small white flowers appear in the spring before the foliage emerges. They are 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch across.
Fruit: the small plums are red to yellow in color and become a dark purple when fully ripe. They are 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch in diameter. The fruit has a glaucous, or powdery, bloom to it similar to some grapes.
Habitat: flatwoods plums grow in mixed forests, and pine hammocks.
Native range: it occurs naturally, in Florida, from Desoto County northward.
It also occurs in these states: AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX.
Landscape use: it grows in full sun to part shade with dry to average soil moisture. In my opinion they look best planted in groups of three or more because the flowers stand out much better in the landscape.
Wildlife use: plums are eaten by a variety of wildlife but seem to be especially attracted to larger mammals such as foxes, opossums and raccoons.
Human Uses: the plums can be made into a jam, but are sour so I find them best used for spicy chutneys.
Propagation: Transplanting young trees, seedlings, or saplings is usually very successful. Plums can also be grown from seed but it takes patience and time.
“Propagation from Seed: Harvest the fruit in the summer when ripe (the fruit turns dark purple), usually in late August. Remove the pulp or fruit from the seed. Seeds can be extracted by maceration and recovered by flotation. Natural germination predominately occurs in the first or second year after seedfall.” Planting Guide for Wild Plum