Prunus subcordata, known by the common names Klamath plum, Oregon plum, Pacific plum and Sierra plum, is a member of the genus Prunus, native to the western United States, especially California and Oregon.
Description Prunus subcordata is an erect deciduous shrub or small tree growing to in height with a trunk diameter of up to . It sprouts from its roots and can form dense, spiny thickets. The bark is gray with horizontal brown lenticels, similar in appearance to that of the cultivated cherry tree. The leaves are long with a petiole, dark green, turning red before falling, and faintly toothed.
The flowers are white or pinkish, 2 cm across, appearing in the spring in clusters of one to seven together. The fruit is a small, plum-like drupe, variable in appearance, in length, and may be red or yellow; they mature in late summer. The plums are small and tart.Jepson Manual. University of California: Prunus subcordataCasebeer, MaryRuth (2004). Discover California Shrubs. Sonora, California: Hooker Press. Flora of North America, Prunus subcordata Bentham, 1849. Sierra or Klamath or Pacific plum
Varieties P. subcordata var. kelloggii is less hairy and had larger, yellow fruits. P. subcordata var. rubicunda is a shrub with red fruits, which are relatively bitter.
In addition to California and Oregon, P. subcordata var. subcordata, known as Klamath plum, is also found in Washington.USDA Plants Profile: Prunus subcordata. Accessed March 29, 2022.Calflora taxon report, University of California, Prunus subcordata Benth. Klamath plum, Sierra plum
Similar species Prunus americana (American or wild plum) is found in the eastern United States.
Taxonomy The three main common names are related to the plum's mountain ranges and locales.
Distribution and habitat The species is native to Northern California and from central to western and southern Oregon. It grows in forests, most often at low elevations near the coast, but is also found in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades. It grows at altitudes of .
The range of P. subcordata surrounds the San Joaquin Valley, especially the western flank foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, but avoids the coast mountains of the southwest San Joaquin Valley. For other Pacific coastal Prunus species, P. emarginata is also found in the Pacific Northwest states; P. fremontii and P. ilicifolia are found in coastal or mountain areas of southwest California and northern Baja California.
Ecology Various animals eat the fruit and thus spread the seeds.
Uses The berry is considered edible.
In culture The Concow tribe call the tree gos’-i (Konkow language).
See also Klamath Mountains
References
External links
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile for Prunus subcordata (Klamath plum) Lady Bird Johnson database, University of Texas, Klamath Plum CalPhotos photo gallery, University of California