Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language

Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Native Plant Society of Texas

Mexican Plum

Prunus mexicana

Other common name(s):

Bigtree Plum, Inch Plum

Family:

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

15
to
35
ft.

Spread

15
to
20
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Rocky, Well Drained, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Pink

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fruit, Fall Color, Nectar, Pollen, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals, Nectar Insects, Bees

Maintenance

Moderate to slow growing. Adapts to a variety of soils. Great understory tree. Early spring bloomer. Provide good drainage and deep soil. Can be pruned to fit garden space if needed. Refrain from pruning late in winter as blooms form on old wood in spring. Don’t plant near paved surfaces or rain gardens due to dropping fruit. Leaves provide beautiful yellow fall color. Native habitat: dry to moist thin woods, river bottoms and prairies, mostly in Northeast and North Central Texas. Propagation: softwood cutting, root cutting, hardwood cutting, semi-hardwood cutting, seed.

Comments

Blooms February-April. A single-trunked tree with narrowly oval leaves and serrate margins. Bark becomes rough and furrowed with age. In the early spring it is covered with small clusters of five-petaled fragrant white or pale pink flowers, before leaves appear. The fruit is a plum that turns yellow to mauve to purple. Larval host: Cecropia Moths and Tiger Swallowtail.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Prunus americana var. lanata, Prunus lanata, Prunus mexicana var. flutonensis, Prunus mexicana var. polyandra, Prunus pensylvanica var. mollis

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48, 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 298. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME. 5) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Prunus+mexicana&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 6) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=21574&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=24791#null, 8) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 9) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_mexicana, 10) https://texastrees.org/mexican-plum/#:~:text=Mexican%20plum%20trees%20do%20best,inches%20or%20less%20per%20year.

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Seed Stratification Clean pulp from seeds. Require a period of after-ripening followed by cold stratification. Stratify seeds for 40-60 days in a moist, warm environment, followed by cold stratification between 35 and 40 degrees, for 60-90 days. Collect fruit when it is filled out, firm, and its ripe color. Loses viability rapidly if allowed to dry out after collection and cleaning. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason