Creek Plum
(Prunus rivularis)
Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Other Common Names: Hog plum, Thicket plum
Type: Small 3-8 foot, slender stems, thicket-forming shrub; suckers freely from roots.
Natural Habitat: Native to the Edwards Plateau and north central Texas near stream banks, wood edges and roadsides.
Preferred Site and Use: Ornamental screen for low-lying sites, erosion control on banks and for wildlife habitat reclamation.
Deer Resistance: Browsed by deer, protect by caging until thicket established.
Wildlife: Fruit eaten by a number of small mammals (e.g., foxes, ring-tailed cats) and songbirds.
Light Tolerance: Full sun is best but will tolerate some afternoon shade.
Flowers: Delicate, fragrant showy white blossoms cover branches Mar-April just before or as leaves appear.
Fruit: ½ - ¾ inch drupe, yellow with red blush to solid bright red, ripen in June; very tart but edible.
Leaves: Deciduous, 2-3 inches long, margins finely toothed.
Water Requirements: Natives are xeric once established; water during establishment period.
Soil Requirements: Adapted to alkaline, calcareous clay soils or limestone outcrops.
Maintenance: This native requires little to no maintenance once established.
Planting Instructions: Space plants 3-10 feet apart depending on the final desired appearance. Dig hole at least two - five times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides and shape of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places to avoid root girdling. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill the planting hole, using soil that was dug from the hole. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball, but a thin layer of compost may be spread over the root ball and disturbed soil surface. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the disturbed soil around but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a "normal" year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during periods of drought. Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: This shrub is often unrecognized and inadvertently removed during development of new tracts of land, but should be salvaged. If this particular plum species is unavailable at your local nursery try another desirable native plum relative, such as Mexican plum. Mexican plum is a small tree to 20 feet tall that has a similar bloom and bloom period but is not as prone to suckering. All plums sucker some. Both bloom at the same time as redbud. When planted together with redbud they give a resounding and dramatic welcome to spring!
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.