Should I Plant a Mexican Plum Tree in Austin?

The native Mexican plum is a great ornamental tree for Central Texas. I find them growing naturally in creeks and riparian areas all over Austin. The flowers come out before the foliage in early spring. And even when that beautiful display is done, the foliage that comes out is a nice rich green, and they have a very traditional canopy shape. To some extent, they can look like a little bonsai tree. So if you’re looking for a great looking ornamental that has the appearance of a miniature tree, these are a great choice. And while they are native to riparian areas, they actually adapt very well to most Austin, Central Texas landscapes as long as there is an irrigation system in place for them.

The only downside to them is the fruit that they make. I’ve heard of people using the fruit to make jelly, but the plums by themselves are really not tasty. And if you don’t have a good population of squirrels to harvest them for you, they can become quite messy in your yard. I would definitely not plant one near the seating area or a swimming pool. They need to go in a part of the yard where it’s okay if the fruit hit the ground to rot.

They’re generally pretty available in local nurseries. They’re actually a trick to grow. Not every tree farm does them, but we have a great resource for them. And I see them all over local nurseries.

The Mexican plum can be difficult to distinguish between most stone fruit trees. They very much look like peaches and apricots and any of the other stone fruits. So look for a proper label if you don’t have a keen eye on distinguishing small fruit trees. Once established, they grow quite rapidly and will need a good amount of structural pruning to wind up with a good form.