Other Uses

As an alternative to conventional agriculture, agroforestry is an up and coming practice that involves a dedicated, and planned use of trees on farmland. The trees have many functions, and the properties of the wild plum, namely the dense pattern of growth can be utilized by such practices. Aside from cultivation of the fruit, which is commonly used for jams and preservatives, it can be planted in rows as windbreaks. These rows of densely packed trees can reduce erosion of the topsoil from wind, as well as providing a home for beneficial insects. The trees will also increase the amount of carbon in the soil, and maintain cooler temperatures for crops. They can be planted along rivers or streams to serve as riparian buffer strips, another technique used in agroforestry. The roots of the tree will not only prevent erosion along the water’s edge, but also trap pollution in the water. Furthermore, they collect nutrients, and the shade under their branches can be cultivated. Aditionally, the wild plum has proven to be the best pollinizer for hybrid plums which are regularly cultivated. Because of an early blooming season, hybrid plum varieties often have low yields. This is because of little pollinator activity. Cultivators have found however, that when a wild plum is planted near a hybrid and is manipulated into blooming around the same time (through proper pruning branches can be closer to the ground or a consistently sunny wall) as hybrid species, the yields of that hybrid will increase substantially.

Native Americans found a variety of uses for all parts of the wild plum as well. The Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Crow, Iroquois, Ojibwa, Omaha, Pawnee, and Ponca, along with many others, ate the fruit both fresh and dried, and made beverages, cakes, and soup with them. They can be boiled into a liquid, or ground into flour for these culinary purposes. The twigs of the tree were bound by the same groups to make brooms. The inner bark of the tree was used to make a yellow dye, and the roots for a red dye that was used for clothes and face painting. The Dakota traditionally used the young growth from the tree to make a ceremonial wand used in offerings to the gods. The plum seeds were also used to make pieces to a game similar to dice. The Omaha used the same part of the branch to make water-finding sticks and located underground water. The blossoming of the tree also served as a seasonal indicator, signifying when to plant certain crops.