Wild Plum agg. - Prunus domestica

Stace places plums, damsons, bullaces and greengages under P. domestica, but notes that "they have been so much hybridised that character-correlation has partly broken down and the subspecies are scarcely discernible." We have decided to treat Prunus domestica as an aggregate to include subspecies such as subsp. insititia, subsp. italica and subsp. domestica.

Prunus spinosa and Prunus cerasifera

Fruit usually >2cm, with flattened stone, often strongly so (Bullace, P domestica subsp. insititia has moderately flattened stone). Flowers appearing with leaves. 1st year twigs brown/grey, often hairy.  Not usually spiny - may be sparsely so.

Photo of shoot/twig, and fruit/fruit-stone, if possible.  It is not possible to verify this from photos of the flowers alone

Woodlands and hedgerows often found close to habitation.

Flowers in April and May.

Deciduous.

Widespread in Britain except in the far north.

Occasional, though possibly under recorded in Leicestershire and Rutland.