Chickasaw Plum
(Prunus angustifolia)

Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Alternative Names

Cherokee Plum, Sandhill Plum and Sand Plum

Description of Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)

Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia), a member of the Rosaceae (Rose Family), is a large shrub to small tree that grows from 3′ to 20′ tall, sometimes up to 25′ and blooms in the winter to early spring (February to April).  The fruits, which are yellow to red drupes (plums), mature in the spring to summer (May to August).  More information can be found on this blog post about Chickasaw Plum.

Hosted Species

Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus)

Henri’s Elfin (Callophrys henrici)

Nectar Species

This species is used by other insects and is food for birds and mammals.

Habitat

This species grows in open areas such as roadsides, thickets, open dry woods, riparian terraces, scrub oak, and streambanks.

Range of Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia) in the United States and Canada

Interesting Facts

The genus name, Prunus, is Latin for “drupe.”  The species name, angustifolia, comes from Latin (angustus – narrow and folium – leaf), meaning narrow leaf.