Family: Rosaceae

Origin, Description & Uses:
Prunus cerasifera (cherry plum) is native to southeastern Europe through Central Asia and the Himalayas. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree valued for its early spring blossoms, which are often pink or white and appear before the leaves emerge. The tree produces small edible fruits that resemble plums and can range in color from yellow to red or purple. Cherry plum is widely planted as an ornamental landscape tree and is also used as a rootstock for cultivated plums and other stone fruits due to its hardiness and adaptability to a variety of soils and climates.

Risks & Threats:
Although Prunus cerasifera is currently not known to be naturalized in the Hawaiian Islands, it possesses traits that are cause for concern, including rapid growth, high reproductive output, and the ability to spread from seed under favorable conditions. In other regions, it has shown potential to escape cultivation and establish in disturbed habitats, where it may compete with native vegetation. If it were to naturalize in Hawaiʻi, it could contribute to the displacement of native plant communities and alter ecosystem structure in sensitive tropical island environments. Because of these risks, it is recommended to choose a low-risk or native alternative when suitable options are available.

High Risk Traits:

• Broad climate suitability (USDA zones 4b-9b)
  
• Naturalized in tropical Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the U.S.
  
• Recorded as an environmental weed (inhibits natural regeneration in Australia)
  
• Congeneric weeds exist (e.g., P. avium, P. serotina, P. laurocerasus)
  
• Produces spines/thorns on branches
  
• Host for pests/pathogens (e.g., Phytophthora cinnamomi)
  
• Tolerates wide range of soil conditions
  
• Produces viable seed
  
• Self-compatible
  
• Dispersed intentionally by people
  
• Dispersed by birds and other animals (mammals)
  
• Propagules survive gut passage

Low Risk Traits:

• Not a garden, agricultural, or forestry weed (score 0)
  
• Not allelopathic or parasitic
  
• Fire-resistant (does not increase fire hazard)
  
• Not shade tolerant
  
• Requires 2–3 months cold stratification for seed; slow to germinate (up to 18 months)
  
• Minimum generative time ≥4 years
  
• Not wind-dispersed or water-dispersed