Spondias mombin – Native Plant Search

Native Range

A native plant refers to a species of plant that has naturally evolved and grown in a particular geographic area without any human intervention or introduction. These plants have adapted to the local climate, soil, and ecological conditions over an extended period of time, often thousands of years. Because of this co-evolution with their specific environment, native plants have developed characteristics that make them well-suited to the local ecosystem and provide essential resources for local wildlife.

Native plants play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of an area. They provide food and habitat for native wildlife, support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and contribute to the overall health of the ecosystem. Additionally, native plants often require fewer resources like water and fertilizers compared to non-native or exotic plants that may not be well-suited to the local environment.

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Native Continent

Northern America, Southern America

Northern America

Mexico, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán,

Southern America

Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay,

Natural Habitat

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Pleasantly acid, the fleshy fruit is eaten raw or cooked with sugar. It is also used for making jams, ice cream etc. Juices improve with keeping overnight as the mild astringency of the fresh fruit disappears. Unripe fruits are pickled and used like olives. The dull light orange to yellow or brown ovoid fruit is 30 - 40mm long and 20 - 25mm in diameter. There is great variation in fruit quality from region to region, some being sweet and pleasant and others quite disagreeable in flavour. Young leaves - cooked and used as a vegetable. The shoot tastes like cassava and can be eaten raw or boiled. The seeds can be eaten. When fresh water is unavailable, water from the roots of this tree can be drunk. The sap from the roots has been drunk in place of water when the latter was not available.