Prunus
cherry, laurel, plum
18 species
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Prunus americana – American plum, wild plum
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southcentral and southeastern Washington; Washington to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, and further east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Along watercourses, and on open or wooded, moist or dry areas from the plains into the lower mountains.
Origin: Native and introduced from further east of Washington
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southcentral and southeastern Washington; Washington to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains, and further east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Along watercourses, and on open or wooded, moist or dry areas from the plains into the lower mountains.
Origin: Native and introduced from further east of Washington
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus armeniaca – apricot
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and in scattered areas eastward to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, ledges, gravel or clay slopes, thickets, and shorelines
Origin: Introduced from China
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, and in scattered areas eastward to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert, ledges, gravel or clay slopes, thickets, and shorelines
Origin: Introduced from China
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus avium – sweet cherry
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington, though distributed widely throughout the state; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Forest edges, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington, though distributed widely throughout the state; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains, also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Forest edges, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus cerasifera – cherry plum, Flowering plum
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington, but also in southeastern Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho; also in northeastern North America.
Habitat: Open, disturbed areas typically at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington, but also in southeastern Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho; also in northeastern North America.
Habitat: Open, disturbed areas typically at low elevations.
Origin: Introduced
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus cerasus – sour cherry
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana, also east from the Great Plains to the midwestern U.S. and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, thickets, forest edge, and fields.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Idaho and Montana, also east from the Great Plains to the midwestern U.S. and northeastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, thickets, forest edge, and fields.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus domestica – cultivated plum
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Utah; in scattered locations of central and northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, forest openings, abandoned homesteads, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Utah; in scattered locations of central and northeastern U.S.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, forest openings, abandoned homesteads, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus dulcis – almond
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington, Idaho, and California.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, mostly along riparian zones and rocky slopes.
Origin: Introduced from western Asia and northern Africa
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations east of the Cascades crest and in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington, Idaho, and California.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, mostly along riparian zones and rocky slopes.
Origin: Introduced from western Asia and northern Africa
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus emarginata – bitter cherry
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Thickets, rocky slopes, open forests, shorelines, and openings, from the lowlands to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Thickets, rocky slopes, open forests, shorelines, and openings, from the lowlands to subalpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus laurocerasus – laurel cherry, cherry-laurel, English laurel
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Fields, forest edge, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Fields, forest edge, roadsides, wastelots, and other disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus lusitanica – Portugal laurel
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Thickets, forested slopes, grasslands, and shorelines.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Thickets, forested slopes, grasslands, and shorelines.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: April-June
Prunus mahaleb – mahaleb cherry, perfumed cherry
Distribution: Ocurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Idaho, Utah, and also in the eastern United States.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May - June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Ocurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana, Idaho, Utah, and also in the eastern United States.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: May - June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus padus – European bird cherry
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Alaska, southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Washington, Montana, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Ornamental, occasionally escapes
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Alaska, southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Washington, Montana, and eastern North America.
Habitat: Ornamental, occasionally escapes
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus persica – peach
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, east to Idaho; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Thickets, shores, and disturbed ground.
Origin: Introduced from eastern Asia
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, east to Idaho; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Thickets, shores, and disturbed ground.
Origin: Introduced from eastern Asia
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus ×pugetensis – Puget Sound cherry
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Oregon, east in the Columbia River Gorge and in Chelan County, WA.
Habitat: Low elevations in forests or forest edges, or disturbed areas, typically where both parent species are present.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; Southwestern British Columbia to northwestern Oregon, east in the Columbia River Gorge and in Chelan County, WA.
Habitat: Low elevations in forests or forest edges, or disturbed areas, typically where both parent species are present.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus spinosa – blackthorn
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to southern Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Moist draws, thickets, hillsides, roadsides, and railroads.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to southern Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Moist draws, thickets, hillsides, roadsides, and railroads.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and northern Africa
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus tomentosa – Nanking cherry
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; also in Utah, and from northern Great Plains east to northeastern North America.
Habitat: Thickets and hedgerows.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; also in Utah, and from northern Great Plains east to northeastern North America.
Habitat: Thickets and hedgerows.
Origin: Introduced from Asia
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus virginiana – common chokecherry, western chokecherry, white chokecherry
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Thickets, open forest, shorelines, rocky slopes, and roadsides.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Thickets, open forest, shorelines, rocky slopes, and roadsides.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Prunus yedoensis – Yoshino cherry
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; also occurring in central California.
Habitat: Thickets and shorelines, often where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Japan
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; also occurring in central California.
Habitat: Thickets and shorelines, often where disturbed.
Origin: Introduced from Japan
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
