Prosopis glandulosa

honey mesquite

Did you know?:

The wood of Prosopis glandulosa’s is used primarily for fuel, but also for furniture, flooring, utensils, and posts. The pods and seeds are eaten by wildlife, livestock, and humans. The plant is also used medicinally. Native Americans ground the pods and seeds into meal to make bread, mush, and beer/alcohol. Other plant parts were used to make black dye, rope, cement for pottery, and candy.

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What does this species look like?

Honey mesquite is a single- to multi-stemmed, nitrogen-fixing, mostly deciduous, large shrub to medium-sized tree growing 1.5 to 35 feet tall. Its tiny, greenish-white to yellowish-white flowers have both male and female parts and are grouped tightly on elongated spikes that are somewhat showy, and droop. Flowering can begin on trees as early as three years of age. They are insect-, possibly wind-, and self-pollinated.

Honey mesquite grows in warm desert shrub communities and grasslands, and on plains, terraces, washes, and riparian sites, riverbanks, and bars, dry lakes, playas, hummocked dunes, mesas, and talus slopes where plants have access to permanent underground water. It is adapted to most soil types. Although it is found on hummocky sand dunes to calcareous clay, it grows best in medium- to fine-textured soils. It is a drought-tolerant plant.

Why observe this species?

Honey mesquite is a USA-NPN regional plant species. Regional species are ecologically or economically important but are distributed more locally than calibration species. The NPN integrates these observations to understand better plant responses within the different geographic regions of the nation. In addition, this species is an allergen. Observations on its phenology will provide valuable information to benefit people with allergies and the public health community.

Where is this species found?

U.S. States:

AZ, CA, CO, KS, LA, MO, NM, NV, OK, TX, UT

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Which phenophases should I observe?

Leaves	Do you see...? *Young leaves* One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from the breaking bud so that the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves. How many young leaves are present? Less than 3 3 to 10 11 to 100 101 to 1,000 1,001 to 10,000 More than 10,000 *Leaves* One or more live, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from the breaking bud so that the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves. What percentage of the canopy is full with leaves? Ignore dead branches in your estimate. Less than 5% 5-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-94% 95% or more More...
Flowers	Do you see...? *Flowers or flower buds* One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds that are still developing, but do not include wilted or dried flowers. How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers. Less than 3 3 to 10 11 to 100 101 to 1,000 1,001 to 10,000 More than 10,000 More... *Open flowers* One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers. What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open. Less than 5% 5-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-94% 95% or more More... *Pollen release* One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface. How much pollen is released? Little: Only a few grains are released. Some: Many grains are released. Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows More...
Fruits	Do you see...? *Fruits* One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Prosopis glandulosa, the fruit is a pod that changes from green to tan, sometimes tinged with violet. How many fruits are present? Less than 3 3 to 10 11 to 100 101 to 1,000 1,001 to 10,000 More than 10,000 More... *Ripe fruits* One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Prosopis glandulosa, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan, sometimes tinged with violet. What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe? Less than 5% 5-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-94% 95% or more More... *Recent fruit or seed drop* One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant. How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit? Less than 3 3 to 10 11 to 100 101 to 1,000 1,001 to 10,000 More than 10,000 More...

Leaves

Do you see...?

Young leaves
One or more young, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "young" and "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from the breaking bud so that the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the stem, but before the leaf has reached full size or turned the darker green color or tougher texture of mature leaves on the plant. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

How many young leaves are present?

Less than 3

3 to 10

11 to 100

101 to 1,000

1,001 to 10,000

More than 10,000

Leaves
One or more live, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from the breaking bud so that the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

What percentage of the canopy is full with leaves? Ignore dead branches in your estimate.

Less than 5%

5-24%

25-49%

50-74%

75-94%

95% or more

More...

Flowers

Do you see...?

Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds that are still developing, but do not include wilted or dried flowers.

How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

Less than 3

3 to 10

11 to 100

101 to 1,000

1,001 to 10,000

More than 10,000

More...

Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.

What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

Less than 5%

5-24%

25-49%

50-74%

75-94%

95% or more

More...

Pollen release
One or more flowers on the plant release visible pollen grains when gently shaken or blown into your palm or onto a dark surface.

How much pollen is released?

Little: Only a few grains are released.

Some: Many grains are released.

Lots: A layer of pollen covers your palm, or a cloud of pollen can be seen in the air when the wind blows

More...

Fruits

Do you see...?

Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Prosopis glandulosa, the fruit is a pod that changes from green to tan, sometimes tinged with violet.

How many fruits are present?

Less than 3

3 to 10

11 to 100

101 to 1,000

1,001 to 10,000

More than 10,000

More...

Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Prosopis glandulosa, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan, sometimes tinged with violet.

What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

Less than 5%

5-24%

25-49%

50-74%

75-94%

95% or more

More...

Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.

How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

Less than 3

3 to 10

11 to 100

101 to 1,000

1,001 to 10,000

More than 10,000

More...

For more information

USDA PLANTS profile for honey mesquite (USDA Symbol: PRGL2)
ITIS information for honey mesquite (ITIS TSN: 26879)

Acknowledgments

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