The Plums and Cherries 109 



THE PLUMS AND CHERRIES 



Over one hundred and twenty species of this group (Prunus) have been des- 

 cribed. To it belong the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and almonds. Only 

 one species of plum and six or seven species of cherry are native to Canada. Two 

 of the cherries are native to the Pacific region. 



All the native species, with the exception of the black cherry {Prunus serotina) , 

 are small trees or shrubs, and of little importance commercially. 



The seeds of this group contain more or less prussic acid, and their twigs and 

 bark are characteristically bitter and astringent. 



The fruit of the plum is usually more or less two-lobed with a groove on 

 one side and is often covered with a whitish bloom. The fruit of the cherry is 

 smaller and without this bloom. The cherry seed is round instead of flat as with 

 the plums. 



PRUNUS NIGRA, Ait. CANADA PLUM 



Common names: Canada plum, red plum, wild plum*, horse plum. 

 French name: Prunier canadien. 



The Canada plum is distributed throughout the St. La\vrence valley and west- 

 ward to the Red river in Manitoba. 



It grows as a small tree 20 to 25 ft. in height, often as a shrub in thickets. 

 The bark is a greyish-brown and at first smooth, but later breaks and curls back 

 into papery plates, exposing rough inner bark. 



The crown is narrow and composed of stiff, erect branches, ending in stiff, 

 slender, smooth twigs which, in their second year, develop spiny spurs. These 

 coarse spurs, which may develop leaves, distinguish this tree from any of the 

 cherries 



The winter buds are brown, }i to 34 i"- long, conical, and pointed. The 

 terminal bud of the twig is absent. 



The leaves are 3 to 5 in. long and 13^ to 3 in. broad; rather rounded in outline, 

 with the tip suddenly drawn to a point. They are thick, firm, dark green, and dull. 



The fruit, which ripens in August, is oblong in shape, 1 in. or more in length. 

 The skin is smooth, orange-red when ripe, thick, and tough. The plum is edible. 

 The pit is the typical flat plum-stone. 



PRUNUS EMARGINATA, Walp. BITTER CHERRY 



Common names: Bitter cherry, wild plum*, wild cherry*. 

 French name: Cerisier amer. 



The bitter cherry is a shrub or small tree, ocasionally 30 to 50 ft. high and 10 

 to 12 in. in diameter. It is found throughout southern British Columbia growing 

 in moist places in the valleys, sometimes on dry hillsides, and does not appear east 

 of the Rocky mountains. Its wood is not utilized in Canada. 



The bark is thin, smooth, greyish to brown in colour, and exceedingly bitter to 

 the taste. 



