NICE! Plant of the Month
(Prunus mexicana)
Family: Rosaceae (Rose family)
Other Common Names: Wild Plum, Big-tree Plum
Type: Large shrub or solitary tree
Natural Habitat: Usually found in ravines and creek bottoms, occasionally in fields and on hillsides.
Growth: Height 7-20 feet
Preferred Site and Use: Beautiful ornamental tree
Deer Resistance: Browsed by deer
Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, butterflies, and diurnal moths. Fruits enjoyed by several species of birds. Larval host plant for Tiger swallowtail butterfly.
Light Tolerance: dappled shade to full sun
Flowers: White flowers, ½-1 inch in diameter. Trees in bloom have a strong, sweet flavor.
Fruit: Purple-red plum, ¾-1 inch long.
Leaves: 1 ¾-3 ½ inches, alternate, simple, deciduous
Water Requirements: Established plant: in absence of rain, water once every 30-40 days.
Soil Requirements: sand, loam, clay, limestone; well-drained
Maintenance: Mexican plum is well behaved, with a rounded crown
Planting Instructions: Space plants 20 feet apart. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball, but a thin layer of compost may be spread over the soil surface. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during periods of drought. Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: This is a PRIORITY plant, one whose population is in decline. Planting and caging of this tree is encouraged. Even the trunk of this tree is attractive. As it ages, it develops a satiny, blue-gray trunk with darker horizontal striations. Plant as an understory tree with Texas redbud for a beautiful mix of white and pink flowers in early spring.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
