# Beach Plum (*Prunus maritima*) The Beach Plum is a small shrub that grows near the ocean. It has beautiful white flowers in spring and tasty plums in late summer that are great for making jams and jellies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas - **Also known as:** Beach Plum Shrub ![Beach Plum](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Prunus_maritima.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_maritima.jpg) ## Appearance The Beach Plum is a hardy, sprawling shrub with dark green, somewhat leathery leaves. In spring, it is adorned with clusters of small, five-petaled white flowers. These develop into tart, round purple-red fruits, resembling miniature plums, by late summer. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Prunus ## Interesting facts - Beach Plum fruit was a vital food and medicine source for Native Americans for centuries! - Its beautiful spring flowers look like tiny white cherry blossoms covering the coastal shrubs! - The fruit becomes even sweeter after the first autumn frost, perfect for delicious jellies! - This amazing plant can live for over 50 years, helping stabilize coastal dunes for decades! ## Special abilities - **Salt Guardian:** Beach Plum can thrive in salty sea spray and sandy soil because its tough, waxy leaves protect it from drying out. - **Dune Anchor:** Beach Plum has strong, widely spreading roots that grip loose sand, helping to prevent precious coastal dunes from eroding. - **Thirsty Survivor:** Beach Plum can grow in very dry, nutrient-poor sandy conditions thanks to its deep roots that seek out underground water. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-200 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — feasts on ripe Beach Plum fruits. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on young twigs and foliage. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Salt Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/salt-tolerant): Salt tolerant plants can withstand and grow in conditions with elevated salinity levels in the soil or water. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, and don't eat anything unless an adult says it's safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Beach Plum? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Beach Plum? 50-200 cm ### How wide does Beach Plum spread? 100-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on Beach Plum? 1-1.5 cm ### When does Beach Plum bloom? Spring ### Is Beach Plum edible? Yes ### Is Beach Plum toxic? Mild ### What is Beach Plum's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bridgeport Downtown South Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bridgeport-downtown-south-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Double Trouble State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/double-trouble-state-park) — New Jersey, US · State Park - [Edgartown Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/edgartown-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Slocum's River Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/slocums-river-reserve) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Paerdegat Basin Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/paerdegat-basin-park) — New York, US · Park [View all places to see Beach Plum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/beach-plum) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Beach Plum: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/beach-plum)