Mesquite Tree

Screwbean Mesquite Photo by Ken Morse

Velvet Mesquite Photo by George Wall

Honey Mesquite Photo by Calvin Hamilton

Mesquite is the most common shrub/small tree of the Desert Southwest. Like many members of the Legume Family mesquite restores nitrogen to the soil. There are 3 common species of mesquite: Honey Mesquite, Screwbean Mesquite and Velvet Mesquite shown above.

All 3 have characteristic bean pods which have long been used by humans, wildlife and livestock as a food source. It is estimated that over 75% of a Coyote's diet in late summer is mesquite beans.

Native Americans relied on the mesquite pod as a dietary staple from which they made tea, syrup and a ground meal called pinole. They also used the bark for basketry, fabrics and medicine. A favorite of bees and other insects, mesquite flowers produce a fragrant honey.

The taproots, which can be larger than the trunk, are often dug up for firewood. Next to Ironwood, mesquite is the best firewood of the desert, because it burns slowly and is smokeless. The wood is also used for fence posts, tool handles and to create aromatic charcoal for barbecuing.

The mesquite is very prevalent in the southwest especially along washes and streams and grows in thickets mainly below 5,000 feet. The Honey and the Screwbean Mesquite can grow to 20 feet in height with a 12 inch trunk. The Velvet Mesquite is the larger of the three and can grow to 30 feet with a 24 inch trunk.