Native Plants

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Wednesday - May 25, 2011

From: Bartlett, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Does Mexican plum require more than one plant for successful pollination?
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Re: Mexican plums.. Do I need to plant more than 1 to ensure proper pollination? I have always been told that commercial plums need at least 2 to pollinate properly for consistent plum production. All the Mexican plums I have seen "in the wild" have been in pastures and along creek beds where there have usually been several within a couple or hundred yards.

ANSWER:

The Mexican Plum Prunus mexicana (Mexican plum) is the common wild plum of the forest-prairie border from Missouri to Texas. It is a monoecious species with perfect flowers ( each flower has both stamens and pistils). Bees are the principal pollinators, and can pollinate the flowers on the same plant. If the plants are self-fertile, fruit will result. However, two of my botanical colleagues believe that this is not the case. This is also true of some hybrid varieties where it would be necessary to plant two varieties for proper pollination to occur.

I’m recommending that you plant at least two trees. This may double your work at the beginning, but it will double your pleasure and double your fun when you see those trees in blossom and harvest those juicy plums.

Check out this link for some interesting facts about bees.