yellow mombin
Spondias mombin · Anacardiaceae
yellow mombin (Spondias mombin) is a perennial tree in the Anacardiaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 30°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 45 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.8–7.9 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 4.8 to 7.9 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 45 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 120 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 36 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- koa Acacia koa
- cabbagebark tree Andira inermis
- gregorywood Bucida buceras
- royal poinciana Delonix regia
- tropical almond Terminalia catappa
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol SPMO, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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