Prunus cerasifera
Cherry plum
(c) Maja Dumat, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Tree · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Prunus cerasifera (Cherry plum) is a non-native California tree in the Rosaceae family, recognized by non-thorny tree habit, crenate-serrate leaves, and smooth fleshy fruits.
Cherry plum is a naturalized tree found in southern North Coast Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada Foothills, Central Coast, and San Francisco Bay Area in roadsides, streambanks, and chaparral at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from February to March, this tree produces delicate white flowers 7 to 14 millimeters long in small clusters or individually. Growing 4 to 8 meters tall with a deciduous habit, it develops spreading branches without thorns. Its leaves are elliptic to obovate, 30 to 70 millimeters long with crenate-serrate edges, having an obtuse base and acute to obtuse tip. The fruit is a small, glossy drupe 15 to 30 millimeters long, ranging in color from yellow to red with a fleshy pulp.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; key features are non-thorny tree habit, crenate-serrate leaves, and smooth fleshy fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, streambanks, chaparral as waif
Elevation: < 1000 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Sutter, Monterey, Alameda, San Mateo, Riverside, Amador, Placer, Marin, Napa, Nevada, San Francisco, Sonoma, Solano, Butte, Contra Costa, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Mariposa
Outside California: native to southeastern Europe
Bloom period
Prunus cerasifera blooms Feb-Mar.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Quercus: Prunus has simple leaves with fine teeth; oak leaves are lobed or have coarse rounded teeth.; vs Rhamnus: Prunus has fleshy fruits with single hard pits; buckthorn has berry-like fruits with multiple seeds.; vs Malus: Prunus fruits have a single hard pit; apple fruits have a papery core with multiple seeds.; vs Frangula: Prunus has cup-shaped flower base that falls off; alder buckthorn has persistent berry-like fruit base.; vs Pyrus: Prunus produces single-pitted drupes; pear produces pome fruits with papery seed chambers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prunus cerasifera native to California?
No. Prunus cerasifera is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Prunus cerasifera bloom?
Prunus cerasifera blooms Feb-Mar.
Where in California does Prunus cerasifera grow?
Prunus cerasifera occurs in San Bernardino, Tulare, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Sutter, Monterey, Alameda, San Mateo and other counties, at elevations of < 1000 m.
What plant family does Prunus cerasifera belong to?
Prunus cerasifera is in the Rosaceae family, genus Prunus.
Is Prunus cerasifera invasive in California?
Prunus cerasifera is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.