Growing on the High Plains: Sandhill Plums

By Skip Mancini

Published June 2, 2022 at 9:35 AM CDT

If jelly is your jam, you won't want to miss this week's edition of Growing on the High Plains!

This wonderful native shrub has a deeply history, as it provided a rare and welcome fruit for North American Indian tribes as well as early day settlers. The roots of this manna of the plains literally run deep, searching out subsoil moisture and giving the little shrubs an ability to survive our infamous prairie winds. Today the scarlet fruits are still a favorite for jelly, and are the basis for providing a product for many small-scale local businesses on the High Plains.

Growing on the High Plains

Skip Mancini

Years ago Skip Mancini left the rocky coast of Northern California to return to her roots in the heartland. Her San Francisco friends, concerned over her decision to live in a desolate flatland best known for a Hollywood tornado, were afraid she would wither and die on the vine. With pioneer spirit, Skip planted a garden. She began to learn about growing not only flowers and vegetables, but hearts and minds. If you agree that the prairie is a special place, we think you'll enjoy her weekly sojourns into Growing on the High Plains.

See stories by Skip Mancini