# Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana)

> A single-trunked, non-suckering small tree (15-25 feet) with fragrant white blossoms in late winter before anything else is blooming, satiny blue-gray bark and tart edible plums in late summer. It takes sun or part shade, needs little water once established, and feeds bees, butterflies and birds. One of the best small native trees for Austin yards.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/prunus-mexicana · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Bigtree plum
- Family: Rosaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 7 m; spread 5 m
- Growth: Medium growth
- USDA hardiness zones: 6 to 8
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Well-drained sand, loam, clay or limestone soils; needs a fair amount of soil depth
- Native range: South-central United States from Ohio and South Dakota south to Texas and northeastern Mexico

**Benefits:** Flowers, Pollinators, Edible, Wildlife, Birds, Drought tolerant, Fits small spaces

**Good for:** Small yard, Food, parks

**Watch out for:** Messy fruit

## Care

Plant in a well-drained site with reasonable soil depth; water weekly the first two summers. Prune lightly after flowering only to shape or raise the canopy. Fruit drops in July-September and can be messy on hard surfaces but is good for jelly. Generally pest-free compared with cultivated plums.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** United States (Also native in: IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, NE, OH, SD, WI (USDA PLANTS distribution)); AL, United States; AR, United States; GA, United States; LA, United States; MS, United States; NC, United States; OK, United States; SC, United States; TN, United States; TX, United States
- **Recommended:** Austin, TX, United States (On the City of Austin Grow Green native and adapted plant list (Watershed Protection). Listed as 'Plum, Mexican', a great understory tree and earliest spring bloomer.); Dallas, TX, United States (On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/PRME
- https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRME
- https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/plant-guide/plum-mexican
- https://www.treefolks.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NeighborWoodsTreeMenu-2026.pdf
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=286449