Wild Plum, American Plum, River Plum,Prunus Americana,Rose Family (Rosaceae)

Found in moist areas, ditches, canyons
Seen blooming in April by the Tierra Azul Acequia, Abiquiu
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The Wild Plum grows to 15 feet tall as a small tree or as a large shrub forming thickets. The branches are thorny and the leaves are finely toothed. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, the underside is pale. Pure white flowers bloom before the leaves in round clusters and have five petals and a slightly unpleasant fragrance. Flowers are followed by round fruits, plums, one inch across which can be yellow or red. Although the plums can be eaten raw, the quality is somewhat poor, the fruits are better used for preserves and jellies. Wild plums have toxic substances in all parts of the plant except the fruit but traditionally many parts are used for medicinal purposes. A tea made from the inner bark is used as a wash to treat various skin problems and as a mouth wash to treat sores, a poultice of the inner bark is disinfectant and is used as a treatment on cuts and wounds, it has been used to make a cough syrup and an infusion has been used in the treatment of diarrhea, kidney, bladder complaints and in the treatment of asthma. It also works well as a mild laxative. A green dye was made from the leaves and a red dye from the roots. Source.
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