Prosopis glandulosa – “Honey Mesquite”

Family: Legume, Bean (Fabaceae)
Bloom Period: Apr-Aug
Form: Small, bushy tree
Habitat: Sandy flats and in washes
Leaves: Twice pinnately-compound; alternate
Translation: “Prosopis” is the ancient Greek name for a particular plant, Butter-Burr (Petasites vulgaris) and it is unknown how that relates to this species; “glandulosa” is Latin and means “with glands.”
Notes: Roots go down 60-100 feet (18-30 m) to access water from aquifers. The pods are edible, so I ate a few of the very young green ones raw; I found the flavor similar to garden snap beans. A little “gamier” but quite enjoyable. Photos show immature beans (above right) and the previous season’s mature pods (below right). The highly durable wood was used for fence posts by European settlers so extensively that few large trees remain. Thanks, guys. There’s one more thing you destroyed before we got a chance to see it.
Native American Uses: The Cahuilla, Cocopa, Kumeyaay, Kawaiisu, Pima, Seri, Yavapai and Quechan (as well as other Native American tribes) consumed the beans, making flour and beverages and storing them for later use. Little cakes made from sun-dried porridge were eaten while traveling or hunting. Flowers were also consumed. The Seri, who called the plant “haas,” had different names for the pods depending on their stage of growth, from green to mature. The Cahuilla diluted the plant’s gum in water and used it as an eyewash and to treat wounds. The Kumeyaay made an infusion of the leaves and used it as eyewash and to bring down fevers.
The Cahuilla used the wood for construction and fuel, the limbs for hunting bows and arrow shafts, the leaves for roofing, the bark as wrapping paper, and the processed bark for cordage for pottery-carrying nets and for cloth for skirts and diapers. The Kumeyaay used the wood for fuel and for making utensils. The Cahuilla and Serrano both used the needles as tattoo needles and the ash for tattoo pigment.
Animal Associations: Thickets provide shelter to birds and mammals, including the Desert Cottontail rabbit and Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, which also forages on the leaves and twigs. Pods and sometimes leaves are eaten by the White-Tailed Antelope Ground Squirrel, Rock Squirrel, Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel, Cactus Mouse, Desert Woodrat, Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, Mule Deer and Coyote. Nesting site for the Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher and overnight roosting spot for Gambel’s Quail. The Verdin, an insectivorous bird, takes cover in its branches where it seeks food.
Nectar source for bees and other insects. Flowers and leaves are larval food for the Mesquite Webworm moth and several butterflies, including the Ceraunus Blue, Leda Ministreak, Marine Blue, Great Purple Hairstreak, Juno Buckmoth and Reakirt’s Blue. The Reakirt’s Blue larvae are protected and tended by ants that eat the honeydew they secrete.