Princess Kay Plum

Doubled Flowered Canadian Plum

an exciting new plant for northern landscapes

Harold Pellett, Ken Vogel and Susan Moe

Princess Kay is a double flowered selection of Canadian wild plum, (Prunus nigra) discovered by Catherine (Kay) and Robert Nyland in the wild in Itasca County, Minnesota.

The fragrant, white fully double flowers appear in early May prior to emergence of the leaves. Flowers are _ to 1 inch across and last from 7 to 10 days. Because of the double nature of the flowers, very little fruit is set and the flowers remain a few days longer than those on normal single flowered plants of the species. The plants bloom freely at a young age. 'Princess Kay' flowers best in full sun.

Prunus nigra 'Princess Kay' is a small tree with a mature height of 10-15 feet. The trunk and branches are dark brown or black and have large white lenticels. This bark characteristic, the dense branching structure, and the round to oval tree habit add interest to the winter landscape.

Prunus nigra 'Princess Kay' is tolerant to a wide range of climatic conditions and soil types. Good drainage is essential.

The extremely showy fragrant early spring flowers of Princess Kay make it an excellent choice for northern landscapes, where a small ornamental flowering tree is desired.

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