Canadian Plum
Prunus nigra
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Andrey Zharkikh (www.flickr.com) from Salt Lake City, USA
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Genus:
- Prunus
- Species:
- Prunus nigra
- USDA Symbol:
- PRNI
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 900 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Acronicta superans, Characoma nilotica, Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, pollinators
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers fertile soils with good organic matter
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 90–150 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Requires warm stratification (60-90 days) followed by cold stratification (90-120 days). Seeds may take two seasons to germinate.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Scarify, then cold-moist stratify for 60 days.
Source: Claude AI