64 FAMILIAR TREES AND THEIR LEAVES. 



the shadbush in springtime and learn to love its 

 beaut j for its own sake ; it is common in all the 

 seaboard States, and extends westward to Minne- 

 sota and eastern Nebraska, and southwestward to 

 Louisiana. 



wild Bed Plum. There is a wild plum from 10 to 35 

 Prunus Americana, feet high, more or less common on 



the banks of streams and the borders of woods, 

 which may be found from Connecticut south, and 

 westward to Colorado. This bears nearly round, 

 dull yellow and red fruit about f inch in diameter, 

 excellent for the purpose of preserving. The 

 branches are thorny, and the rather long obovate 

 leaves are sharp-pointed and sharply double-toothed. 

 The white flowers with narrow obovate petals bloom 

 in early spring, during or just before the develop- 

 ment of the leaves. There is also a var. mollis with 

 the under side of the leaf permanently soft-hairy. 

 This is distributed from Iowa to Louisiana and 

 Texas. 



