# plums, cherries, and allies (*Prunus*) Plums and cherries are delicious fruits that grow on trees. They come in many colors, like red, purple, and yellow, and are sweet and juicy, perfect for snacks! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Stone Fruits ![plums, cherries, and allies](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Prunus-domestica.JPG&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus-domestica.JPG) ## Appearance The plums, cherries, and allies are typically trees or shrubs with smooth bark, often exfoliating in strips. They have simple, serrated leaves and produce beautiful white or pink five-petaled flowers, usually in clusters. Their distinct fruits are fleshy drupes, appearing in vibrant reds, purples, yellows, or oranges. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Prunus ## Interesting facts - Ancient Romans cultivated cherries and plums, spreading them across their empire! - Cherry wood is highly prized for making beautiful furniture and musical instruments. - Many cherry and plum pits contain a small amount of a cyanide compound. - The Prunus genus includes over 400 different kinds of trees and shrubs worldwide! ## Special abilities - **Sweet Seed Spreaders:** Plums, cherries, and allies produce delicious, sugary fruits that attract animals to eat them, spreading seeds far and wide. - **Toxic Shield:** Plums, cherries, and allies have leaves and seeds containing cyanide compounds, protecting them from hungry herbivores. - **Early Bloom Advantage:** Plums, cherries, and allies often bloom very early in spring, giving them a head start on pollination before other plants. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-1500 cm - **Spread:** 50-1000 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-3 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, aiding reproduction. - **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Feasts on ripe cherries, helping disperse seeds. - **Parasitizes:** Western cherry fruit fly (*Rhagoletis indifferens*) — Larvae develop inside cherry fruits. - **Eaten by:** American black bear (*Ursus americanus*) — Enjoys sweet plums and cherries in season. ## 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. - [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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash fruits before eating them to keep them clean and safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify plums, cherries, and allies? 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 plums, cherries, and allies? 100-1500 cm ### How wide does plums, cherries, and allies spread? 50-1000 cm ### How big are the flowers on plums, cherries, and allies? 1-3 cm ### When does plums, cherries, and allies bloom? Spring ### Is plums, cherries, and allies edible? Yes ### Is plums, cherries, and allies toxic? Mild ### What is plums, cherries, and allies's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Yantacaw Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/yantacaw-park) — New Jersey, US · Park - [Altonaer Balkon (Hamburg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/altonaer-balkon-hamburg) — Hamburg, DE · Park - [Asuwayama Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/asuwayama-park) — Chubu, JP · Park - [Komoro Castle Ruins Kaikoen Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/komoro-castle-ruins-kaikoen-park) — Nagano, JP · Park - [Oslebshauser Park (Bremen)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oslebshauser-park-bremen) — Bremen, DE · Park - [Utsubuki Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/utsubuki-park) — Chugoku, JP · Park [View all places to see plums, cherries, and allies](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/plums-cherries-and-allies) ## 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: [Plums, Cherries, And Allies: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/plums-cherries-and-allies)