Prunus tomentosa

Shrubs, not suckering, 10–20 dm, not thorny. Twigs with terminal end buds, densely hairy. Leaves deciduous; petiole 2–7 mm, hairy, eglandular; blade obovate to oblong-elliptic, 3–6(–7.5) × 1.7–3.5(–4.7) cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins coarsely, singly to doubly serrate, teeth sharp, usually eglandular, sometimes glandular, glands dark, spheric, apex abruptly short-acuminate to acute, abaxial surface tomentose, adaxial rugose, hairy, sometimes sparsely so. Inflorescences usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles. Pedicels 0–5 mm, hairy. Flowers blooming before or at leaf emergence; hypanthium tubular, 3.5–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy (especially at bases) externally; sepals spreading, ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, margins serrate, sometimes glandular, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous; petals white to pale pink (pink in bud), obovate or elliptic to suborbiculate, 9–13 mm; ovaries glabrous proximally, villous distally. Drupes red, globose, 8–15 mm, sparsely hairy; mesocarps fleshy; stones ellipsoid, not flattened. 2n = 16.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Roadsides, fencerows, vacant lots, riparian woods
Elevation: 50–500 m

Introduced; Man., Ont., Sask., Ill., Iowa, Md., Mich., Minn., Nebr., N.Y., Ohio, Pa., S.Dak., Utah, Asia.

Discussion

Prunus tomentosa is cultivated as a landscape plant in hedges and as a background shrub because of its spreading habit and pale pink to white petals. It produces edible fruits that are said to make excellent jelly and juice.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa