Plum, Mexican

A single-stemmed, non-suckering small tree with a spreading crown reaching up to 38 feet tall with numerous rigid spiny branches. It can resemble other wild plums quite closely. Mexican Plum is deciduous and leaves will turn yellow in the fall. The Mexican Plum can tolerate sun but does better with afternoon shade since it naturally grows as an understory plant. Mexican Plum does best in a deep well drained soil. Prunus mexicana is native to Texas, in the Northeast to North Central areas as well as Edwards Plateau.

The Mexican Plum has dark green, simple ovate LEAVES They are alternate, simple, ovate to elliptical, 3 to 4 inches long, serrated margin, sharply pointed tip, green above, slightly paler and pubescent beneath (at least along the veins), emerging leaves have densely pubescent petioles, lacking petiole glands.

Fragrant white to whitish pink FLOWERS with 5 petals, 1 inch across, long filaments, yellow anthers, appear in small clusters in early spring before the leaves.

FRUIT is a fleshy drupe, nearly round, 1 inch across, yellow to reddish purple with some glaucous bloom, ripens in late summer.

The BARK is Initially reddish-gray, smooth with numerous horizontal lenticels, later becoming rough with irregular ridges and exfoliating curling strips. The TWIGS are slender, reddish brown, later developing an exfoliating gray film, leaf scars raised; buds reddish to gray and sharp pointed, some twigs becoming thorns.

The blooms are a strong attractant for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The fruit while on the tree and after dropping feed a wide variety of WILDLIFE including large birds, small mammals, reptiles and insects.