American plum (Prunus americana) is a fast-growing deciduous single-trunk tree or multi-stemmed shrub that grows to 10-15 feet tall. As a shrub, it suckers freely and can form large thorny thickets that are valuable for bird nesting, loafing, and roosting, and animal loafing and bedding. Fragrant white flowers appear in April to June and provide nectar for pollinators. The 1-inch fruit that follows ripens to a shiny, bright red/purple in August or September. The fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer.

American plum is a larval host for several species of butterflies, including Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), and Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax).

NOTE: All parts of this plant except the fruit is listed as mildly toxic with cyanogenic glycosides.