Rank Species | Subfamily Prunoideae Scientific name Prunus alleghaniensis | |
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Similar Prunus hortulana, Prunus subcordata, Prunus andersonii, Prunus brigantina, Prunus gracilis | ||
Prunus alleghaniensis, the Allegheny plum, is a species of New World plum, native to the Appalachian Mountains from New York to Kentucky and North Carolina, plus the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. There are old reports of it growing also in New Jersey and Connecticut, but it now appears to have been extirpated in those two states.
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Description
Prunus alleghaniensis is a shrub or small tree 3-12 feet (90-360 cm) tall. The leaves of are two to three and a half inches (5.0-8.8 cm) long, the tip is usually long and pointed. The leaf margins are finely toothed. The twigs sometimes have thorns. The bark is fissured in older specimens. The flowers are plentiful and white, eventually turning pink. The dark reddish purple fruit is half an inch (13 mm) wide, with a whitish bloom.
Habitat
Prunus alleghaniensis is not common in moist woodlands. It is typically found in elevations between 1200 and 2000 feet (360-600 meters).