I’m quite excited to see a different kind of white bloom in our little woods. Wild plums! We actually have several of these little trees scattered through the property. I found many of them last fall and gathered and ripened the fruit (the tiny plums are too tart to eat straight, but make a nice jelly). I’m excited that I found at least two more this spring. Being the only tree in our yard with white blooms (we don’t have Bradford Pear or Callery Pear), they are easy to spot amongst all the other dormant branches. I’ve purchased some mylar ribbon to mark the trees so I can find them this November.

Now I have had a couple slight panicky moments thinking that we were harboring the dreaded invasive Callery Pear, but it is possible to tell them apart before they bear fruit. Bearly. #punintentional

While they both bloom white first thing in spring, and they both have blooms with five petals, the ends of the stamens on the wild plum are yellow, and those of the Callery pear are reddish. And those of the Callery pear stink.

I’m hoping for enough tree ripened fruit this year for a few jars of jelly!