{"product_id":"turkey-whitetail-plum-thicket","title":"Turkey \u0026 Whitetail Plum Thicket (11 Plants) | Spring 2027","description":"\u003cp\u003eA plum and cherry thicket for turkeys and whitetail: fruit in late summer and thick cover to hide in the rest of the year. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/native-american-plum-bundle-of-2\"\u003eNative American plum\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/prairie-red-plum-bundle-of-2\"\u003ePrairie Red plum\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/chokecherry-bundle-of-5\"\u003echokecherry\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/nanking-cherry-bundle-of-3\"\u003eNanking cherry\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"mft-facts\"\u003e\u003ctable class=\"mft-facts-table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11 plants: Native American Plum (3), Prairie Red Plum (2, 3-5 ft.), Chokecherry (3, 3-5 ft.), Nanking Cherry (3, 2-3 ft.). Bare root, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring 2027, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHardy to\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZone 2 (winters to about -50°F). Check your spot with our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/cold-hardiness-calculator\"\u003ecold hardiness calculator\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhy these\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNWTF counts chokecherry as native soft mast for Merriam's turkeys, and leftover plums are winter food for turkeys. NRCS calls plum twigs and foliage highly preferred browse for whitetail and mule deer, and plum thickets give wildlife valuable protective shelter. Nanking cherry is deer browse and songbird fruit.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eFruit timing\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlums ripen Aug to Sept. Chokecherries ripen in late summer.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePollination\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eThe native plum seedlings are all different genetically, so they pollenize each other and the Prairie Red. Plant the three Nankings together so they pollenize each other.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKeep livestock away from chokecherry.\u003c\/strong\u003e The leaves, bark, stems and pits are toxic to livestock, especially cattle and sheep, and wilted leaves are the worst.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eProtect Them\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeer, elk and moose browse young plants hard, and bucks rub trunks in fall. Cage each tree until it's out of reach: a welded-wire cage about 5 ft. tall and 3 ft. across works for deer. Where elk come through, MSU recommends an 8 ft. fence with a top rail. Trunk tubes alone won't stop rubs. Water with drip the first couple of summers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBear country:\u003c\/strong\u003e fruit draws black bears and grizzlies. Plant well away from houses and outbuildings, and use electric fence where bears are around.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eIs Planting This Baiting?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowing plants is habitat work. Rules on fruit or nuts you pick, move or pile up vary by state, so check your state's hunting regs before you hunt over it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the full how-to (why these plants work, spacing, protection and timing), read our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/wild-turkey-habitat-planting-guide\"\u003ewild turkey planting guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee our other wildlife bundles on the \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/wildlife-orchard-bundles\"\u003ewildlife orchard bundles\u003c\/a\u003e page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csmall\u003ePhotos: wild turkeys by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Wild_Turkey_and_Poults_Karl_E_Mundt_National_Wildlife_Refuge_(52390945281).jpg\"\u003eU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\u003c\/a\u003e (public domain); American plum by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Prunus_americana_-_American_(wild)_plum_-_Flickr_-_Matt_Lavin.jpg\"\u003eMatt Lavin\u003c\/a\u003e (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45838651752514,"sku":null,"price":299.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/1920px-Wild_Turkey_and_Poults_Karl_E_Mundt_National_Wildlife_Refuge__2852390945281_29.jpg?v=1793317859","url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/products\/turkey-whitetail-plum-thicket","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}