Prunus mexicana, commonly known as the Mexican plum, Inch plum, and Bigtree plum, is a North American species of plum tree that can be found in the central United States and Northern Mexico.
Prunus mexicana has a single trunk, an open crown, and reaches a height of 15–38 feet (4.6–11.6 m).[3] It has dark green, simple ovate leaves 2–4.5 inches (5.1–11.4 cm) long and 1.25–2 inches (3.2–5.1 cm) wide. In the early spring it is covered with five-petaled fragrant white or pale pink flowers 0.75–1 inch (19–25 mm) wide. Its dark gray bark is banded with horizontal lenticels. The dark red or purple fruit ripens late in the fall.
Prunus mexicana is very similar to Prunus americana, and they intergrade along a broad contact zone centered around Arkansas and Missouri. These intermediate individuals may be impossible to assign to a specific species.
