I'm really pleased with the amount of fruit that has been produced this year by my native plum trees.  Through some rather intensive research I have determined that these plum trees are Bigtree Plums, a.k.a. Mexican Plums (Prunus mexicana S. Wats).

Members of the rose family (Rosaceae) these particular trees are also known taxonomically as Prunus lanata (or Prunus americana var. lanata).  Bigtree Plum trees are single-trunked, non-suckering, and grow within a range of 15 to 35 feet tall.  They produce showy "clouds" of fragrant white flowers that bloom early in the spring before the tree leaves appear.

The coloration of the fruits of native plums helps considerably in species identification. There are nine species of native plums in Texas. The fruits of the Bigtree Plums are small and ripen from about late July (here along the Texas coast) and on into September (in some places). (Mine have just now started ripening and dropping fruits and will continue to do so over probably the next two or three weeks.)  As they ripen, the fruits go from a yellow-green to mauve to purple.  The fruits can be eaten fresh or made into jelly or preserves. Several websites give instructions for making wine using Prunus mexicana or other native plum fruits. Bigtree plums are also consumed by wildlife.