Zones 7b-10b

Flatwoods plum is a lesser known plum species with traits somewhat intermediate between American, Mexican, and Chickasaw plum – and it deserves much more recognition than it gets – both from a wildlife, pollinator, and aesthetics standpoint. Flatwoods plum, also called hog plum or sloe plum, is indigenous to mostly the coastal plain and some of the piedmont regions from east Texas to south-central Virginia. The fruits more resemble American or Mexican plum in that they drop later in the summer (August-September), and don’t send up root suckers like Chickasaw plum. Some individual’s purple fruits will taste better than others, but (like Mexican and American) is more likely going to be used for jellies than fresh eating. Wildlife love them and it’s fantastic for attracting pollinators. The small to medium sized plants can get up to 15 feet or so, and can often become double or triple trunked as they age. The white blooms in the spring are a sight to behold, and due to their ability to handle partial shade, they make a great addition to edge habitat such as powerlines, fire lanes, driveways, and field edges.