Prosopis glandulosa
Torrey

Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite, courtesy of Melody Lytle

Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as Honey Mesquite, grows on arid lands.

This small to medium-sized nitrogen fixing tree (3-7m), grows primarily in the deserts and drylands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico as Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana. From Mexico north to Kansas and east to Louisiana P. glandulosa var. glandulosa naturally occurs.

"Mesquite has spiny branches and leaves with 7-18 sets of paired leaflets. Its seed pod resembles the common pea or bean, 10-30 cm long and 5-10 mm diameter. The flower is a yellow inflorescence with many spikes. The trees are self-fertile."

Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite bloom, courtesy of Melody Lytle

"Honey mesquite will grow in a wide range of soils and is moderately salt and frost tolerant. It thrives under very high temperatures and survives in areas with very low precipitation, but it is usually found in areas with groundwater reserves."

Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite bloom, courtesy of Melody Lytle

"Honey mesquite pods were a primary food of the residents of the SW North American deserts. The pods are easy to collect and store and, unlike most beans, are edible without cooking."

Wait until the pods have yellowed and the beans have dried (rattle) before harvesting.

The wood is very dense, making it excellent as a fuel and for woodworking and fencing.

The deeply-rooted, open-canopied trees enrich soil with nitrogen.

Propagation:

Pods should be picked when the seed rattles in the pod. The seeds have a very tough coating which must be scarified for germination by chipping or cutting. Seeds germinate best at temperatures between 20-40oC and can germinate within six hours of wetting at 34oC.

"Scarified or sprouted seed should be planted in a well drained soil mix. If small containers are used, transplant seedlings 2-3 weeks after germination to avoid disturbing the dominant tap root." "Best growth is achieved in areas where the root system can reach groundwater. In areas with low rainfall especially in fast-draining soils, irrigation may be required during establishment."

"When planted in southern Texas, var. torreyana from California, but not var. glandulosa, is subject to stem fungal diseases, so best to work with local seeds. Fencing or seedling protectors will usually be needed to protect young, transplanted mesquite seedlings from rabbits or other grazing animals."

The following Saturniidae utilize Prosopis glandulosa as a larval host.

Hemileuca juno, Hemileuca maia, Hemileuca tricolor, Rothschildia cincta, Syssphinx heiligbrodti, Syssphinx hubbardi and Syssphinx quadrilineata.

The following North American butterfly species utilize Prosopis glandulosa as a larval host.

Hesperiidae: Urbanus proteus.

Lycaenidae: Apodemia palmerii, Atlides halesus, Hemiargus ceraunus, Hemiargus isola, Leptotes marina, Ministrymon leda and Satyrium behrii.

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This page is presented by Bill Oehlke. This site is presented as an extension of the
World's Largest Saturniidae Site, a private worldwide silkmoth site,
Caterpillars Too!, a private North American butterfly site featuring images of caterpillars,
and
Sphingidae of the Americas, a free public access site with pictures and information about the Sphingidae (Hawkmoths) of the Americas.

Text information about Prosopis galndulosa on this page is from http://www.winrock.org/forestry/factpub/FACTSH/P_glandulosa.html

Larval hostplant lists have been compiled from the Natural History Museum's
HOSTS - a database of the world's Lepidopteran hostplants