Plum, American

Here we have the American Plum, or the Prunus americana. Its clustered, whitish-pink flowers bloom in April and attract all sorts of pollinators. These trees are often found growing in small colonies, and they're commonly spotted on roadsides. Depending on who you ask, they can be considered a large shrub or a small tree. Mammals like raccoons, opossums, foxes, and coyotes enjoy the plums, which ripen around August and are about an inch in diameter. Songbirds use this tree for nesting, and prey species hide in their tangled branches. The leaves are very ovular and come to a point at the tip, with a well-defined vein pattern. As the tree matures, its bark becomes dark brown and thin, with scaly plates.