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Prunus brachybotrya

Prunus brachybotrya
Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0

Prunus brachybotrya is a cloud forest tree from southern Mexico and Central America, grown mainly for its reddish-brown wood and as a wild food source for birds such as the resplendent quetzal. It is rarely cultivated, so growing advice is limited and mostly general.

Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist while establishing, then water in dry spells.
Soil
Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral loam.
Temperature
15–25 °C; protect from frost below about 0 °C.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Leaves smell strongly of hydrogen cyanide and are used by the Tarahumara as a fish poison and in infusions, so they should be treated as poisonous; seeds and other parts are also presumed to contain cyanogenic compounds typical of the genus.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Mexico to El Salvador, Peru
Climate
subtropical

About

Prunus brachybotrya is a species of tree in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Mexico. Individuals have been found growing in Central American countries. The resplendent quetzal has been observed feeding on this tree.

Where it grows

P. brachybotrya is found in southeastern Mexico, particularly in Chiapas, and grows in cloud forests between 1200–2400 m of elevation.

Uses

The wood of P. brachybotrya is reddish brown in color and is suitable for woodturning. Among the Tarahumara its leaves, which smell strongly of hydrogen cyanide, are used to kill fish when harvesting a pond, applied to deter insects from biting, and used in infusions to relieve coughs and other ailments.

Other Prunus plants

Prunus adenopoda · Red stinkwood · Prunus aitchisonii · Alabama cherry · Prunus alaica · Allegheny plum · American plum · Prunus amplifolia · Almond · Desert peach · Chickasaw plum · Prunus annularis

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Prunus brachybotrya by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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