Title: 
Headings: MESQUITE TREES
MESQUITE
 
TREES
 

Content: Mesquite
 
is
 
an
 
extremely
 
hardy,
 
drought-tolerant
 
plant
 
because
 
it
 
can
 
draw
 
water
 
from
 
the
 
water
 
table
 
through
 
its
 
long
 
taproot
 
(recorded
 
at
 
up
 
to
 
190
 
ft
 
in
 
depth). However,
 
it
 
can
 
also
 
use
 
water
 
in
 
the
 
upper
 
part
 
of
 
the
 
ground,
 
depending
 
upon
 
availability. The
 
tree
 
can
 
easily
 
and
 
rapidly
 
switch
 
from
 
utilizing
 
one
 
water
 
source
 
to
 
the
 
other. Many
 
people,
 
especially
 
ranchers,
 
consider
 
the
 
tree
 
a
 
nuisance
 
because
 
they
 
believe
 
it
 
competes
 
with
 
rangeland
 
grasses
 
for
 
moisture. In
 
many
 
parts
 
of
 
Texas,
 
particularly
 
West
 
and
 
Central
 
Texas,
 
the
 
pro-
liferation
 
of
 
mesquite
 
is
 
blamed
 
for
 
lowering
 
of
 
groundwater
 
tables. However,
 
salt
 
cedar
 
has
 
had
 
a
 
greater
 
effect
 
on
 
water
 
consumption,
 
in
 
some
 
cases
 
even
 
displacing
 
existing
 
mesquite. New
 
growth
 
of
 
mesquite
 
has
 
tough,
 
needle-sharp
 
thorns
 
up
 
to
 
3
 
inches
 
long. The
 
spines
 
are
 
tough
 
enough
 
to
 
penetrate
 
the
 
soft
 
soles
 
of
 
sneakers
 
or
 
similar
 
footwear
 
and
 
can
 
easily
 
punc-
ture
 
tires. Fortunately
 
older
 
branches
 
lose
 
their
 
spine
 
as
 
they
 
grow,
 
making
 
it
 
safer
 
around
 
children,
 
pets,
 
and
 
animals. Mesquite
 
trees
 
furnish
 
shade
 
and
 
wildlife
 
habitat
 
where
 
other
 
trees
 
will
 
not
 
grow.