text: Nature in the Ozarks: Wild Plum (Maybe)
  (Photo taken 4/1/08)
  Wild Plum (Prunus spp)
  According to the field guild Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Arkansas:
  There are five species of wild plums native to Arkansas. "The species are often difficult to identify because of hybridization between native species and also because of the several planted forms and varieties that have escaped cultivation throughout the state."
  Enough said. Just enjoy the beautiful blooms.
  (Photo taken 3/24/08)
  I'm virtually certain the top photo is, indeed, a wild plum. We have several on our place and they all look the same to me. I'm not so sure about the blossoms in the bottom photo. I'm pretty sure the tree is also a plum, but the flowers are different from all the others we've found. It also blooms very early, about 10 days before the other plums. In fact, it's one of the earliest trees to bloom on our place. I've made a mental note to return to this tree later in the year and check out the fruit. The question is: Will I remember?
  Posted by Marvin at 12:35 PM
  Labels: bloom, blossom, fruit tree, plum, trees, wild plum
  Beautiful blooms no matter what they are.
  I doubt you will remember. I can't help you because I can't even remember to respond to your last question when I write a comment. Geez
  4:40 PM, April 20, 2008
  5:53 PM, April 20, 2008
  Don't worry about remembering. Float free on the river of life. :) I can imagine an orchard of these trees, all the lovely flowers in bloom. Makes me want to picnic.
  6:08 PM, April 20, 2008
  I'm enjoying your show and tell - wildflowers an bugs always confuse me, so I hope I remember.
  8:44 PM, April 20, 2008
  what a wonderful captures. spring is everywhere
  3:26 AM, April 21, 2008
  Two beautiful pictures Marvin.. The bloom in the bottom picture reminds me of our Black Thorn trees.. they bloom very early and is one of the ways we make then out for when in berries.. The berries are known as Sloes.. I'm not saying your tree is that, but it might be an indication.. dose the tree have thorns?
  4:30 AM, April 21, 2008
  Nice shots, Marvin. I like them both. And I hope to have some Jonathon Apple blossoms soon.
  Beautiful blossoms. It seems most of the trees are in bloom now. Well apples are a little later but the buds are fat.
  I took a good pic of a Crane Fly I was going to post and haven't yet. Then i got to thinking maybe it is too early for Crane flies---seems to be a summer thing. But then again since Mother Nature can't make up her mind this year for all I know it MAY be summer already. MB
  Tom: You may be onto something. Today I had another look at the tree. It does have thorns. They are few and far between, but definitely thorns. However, the strange thing is: I couldn't see any sign of berries forming. I dunno. This ID may take a while to figure out.
  1:15 AM, April 22, 2008
  Hi Marvin... the berris will not form untill the end of the season.. and are best picked after a frost.. at the end of the year. The reason I said we look for the blooms and mark them out to harvest.. is because they bloom first it tells where to look later in the year when the leaves are out. The berrie go into Gin or anything to colour and flavour.
  3:56 AM, April 22, 2008
  It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Plums or berries?
  It's a shame so many of the wild fruits have been cross hybridized with escapes and just cross pollination.
  Back about 1950, I used to go with my Grandfather to the wood to find some wild plums for Grandma to make plum jelly. those plums were extra large, juicy, had a tender skin, and tasted out-of-this-world good.
  Now plums are tasteless and have thick skins. But they ship really well. :(
  I just love an ID mystery, so here is a link to sloe (aka blackthorn), and here is a tree often confused with it per wikipedia, purple leaf plum. Hope this helps!
  Thanks for the links, Lisa. I had a look, got caught up in more Googling and, now two hours later, I think I still don't know what tree blooms I photographed. I'm still leaning toward some kind of plum, though. The leaves (my tree now has leaves which I photographed) don't look right for blackthorn. We're just going to have to wait on the fruit. :-)