Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae
Mesquite Flower
Prosopis glandulosa
Resilience and desert abundance.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Prosopis
- Native to
- southwestern United States, Mexico
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Summer
- Type
- deciduous tree
- Height
- 300–900 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, well-drained; tolerates alkaline and poor soils
- Water
- very low; extremely drought-tolerant
- Hardiness
- 7–11
- Lifespan
- perennial tree; 100+ years
Did you know
- Mesquite taproots can reach over 50 meters deep — among the deepest of any North American tree.
- The sweet pods were a staple food of Native American peoples, ground into flour for bread and cakes.
- Mesquite honey is a prized artisan product, with a mild floral flavor unique to the desert Southwest.
- A single mature mesquite can produce up to 40 kg of seed pods in a good year.
- Mesquite wood burns slowly and gives barbecue its signature smoky-sweet flavor, beloved by Texas pit-masters.
Color meanings
Yellow
enduring warmth
Cream
quiet nourishment