Wood: Hard, close-grained, brown.
Habitat: Edges of woods, thickets.
Range: Indiana to Iowa, south to Oklahoma, east to Alabama.
Distinguishing Features: Wild Goose Plum flowers when its leaves are partly grown, thereby distinguishing it from the Wild Plum which blooms before or as the leaves begin to unfold.
OTHER WILD PLUMS
Two other wild plums are occasionally encountered in Illinois.
Munson’s Wild Plum (Prunus munsoniana Wight & Hedrick). Munson’s Wild Plum is a small tree rarely more than 15 feet tall and often forming thickets. It has gray or brown scaly bark, smooth brownish twigs, and small, ovoid buds. The leaves are oval and up to 6 inches long and up to 2 inches wide. The edges of the leaves are finely toothed, with each tooth gland-tipped. The upper surface of the leaf is smooth, while the lower surface usually has some hairs. The showy white flowers appear while the leaves are developing. The fruits are spherical or slightly oblong red plums with sweet, juicy flesh. Munson’s Wild Plum is found only in the midwestern states.
Narrow-leaved Plum (Prunus angustifolia Marsh.). Also known as Chickasaw Plum, this is a small tree up to about 15 feet tall, usually forming thickets. The smooth, brownish twigs usually have several sharp spines. Most of the leaves are lance-shaped and up to 2 inches long, and conspicuously folded lengthwise. The flowers begin to bloom just as the leaves start to unfold. The red, nearly spherical plum has tart, juicy flesh. The Narrow-leaved Plum is found mostly in the southeastern United States.
