Kingdom Plantae Family Rosaceae Subgenus Prunus Scientific name Prunus mexicana Rank Species | Order Rosales Genus Prunus Section Prunocerasus Higher classification Prunus | |
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Similar Prunus, Prunus angustifolia, Ulmus crassifolia, Prunus subcordata, Prunus hortulana | ||
Mexican plum prunus mexicana
Prunus mexicana, commonly known as the Mexican plum, is a North American species of plum tree that can be found in the central United States and Northern Mexico. Its native range stretches from Coahuila and San Luis Potosí north as far as Wisconsin and South Dakota, east to Georgia, Kentucky, and Ohio. Mexican Plum is widely cultivated, such as on the west coast of the United States.
Prunus mexicana is usually found on woodland edges or in open fields. It has a single trunk and reaches a height of 15–38 feet (4.6–11.6 m). It has dark green, simple ovate leaves, fragrant white or pale pink flowers, and dark grey bark banded with horizontal lenticels. Mexican Plums are adaptable to a wide range of soil pH and are drought-tolerant. They are hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. Early in the spring it is covered with clouds of white fragrant flowers that are up to an inch wide. The dark red or purple fruit ripens late in the fall.
