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Native Plant Society of Texas

Mexican Buckeye

Ungnadia speciosa

Other common name(s):

Monilla

Family:

Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Limestone Plains
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

8
to
20
ft.

Spread

12
to
20
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Rocky, Limestone, Caliche, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Seeds, Nectar, Pollen, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals, Moths, Bees

Maintenance

Works well as a small specimen, tall background, or understory tree. Fast growth rate and drought resistant. Needs 1/2 day sun, best to provide late afternoon shade. Can be pruned for single trunk if desired. Avoid pruning when blooms form at stem axils. Varies in height according to conditions: in Houston it is more tree-like with large pink flowers; in the Guadalupe Mountains it is a four foot tall shrub with smaller flowers. Can be used near overhead utilities. Showy flowers appear in the spring. Leaves provide bright yellow color in the fall. Native habitat: common in rocky areas, canyons, slopes and ridges in South, Central, and West Texas, and east to Dallas County. WARNING: seeds are poisonous to humans. Propagation: seed.

Comments

Blooms March-June. A multi-trunked understory tree or shrub, with a spreading crown. The bark is light gray, to brown bark, smooth on young branches, becoming fissured with age. Leaves are compound, with 2 to 6 paired leaflets, and a terminal one. Flowers appear lopsided, with four petals on top and a fifth that hangs below the long, drooping stamens. The fruit is a distinctive dark reddish brown, 3 lobed capsule, that contains round, hard, black seeds. Larval host: Henry’s Elfin Butterfly. Replaces non-natives: Vitex, Chastetree, Texas Lilac.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 304. 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=UNSP. 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=22799&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=28710#null, 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014., 8) https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/ungnadiaspecio.htm, 9) https://tpwmagazine.com/archive/2016/oct/scout3_florafact_buckeye/

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 four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason