Title: Mesquite - description, history, use and benefits
Headings: MESQUITE

Content: They
bear flowers that have five
petals. They produce
abundant large seedpods that
serve as a nutritious food
source for wildlife. They grow
wide-spreading and
deep-reaching root systems
that host colonies of bacteria
that can fix nitrogen, one of
the minerals most important to
plant germination and growth. Our three species of mesquites, which include
the Honey Mesquite, the Velvet Mesquite and
the Screwbean Mesquite, share various
characteristics. They range from a few feet to
10 to 15 feet in height, although the Honey and
Velvet Mesquites may reach 30 to 60 feet in
especially favorable settings. They may have
single or multiple-branched stems, with each
plant assuming its own distinctive shape. They
come armed with thorns on the smaller
branches. They shed their leaves in the winter. They bloom from spring into summer, bearing
small frothy-looking clusters – called “catkins” –
of tiny, five-petal, pale green or yellowish
flowers, which lure numerous pollinating
insects. They produce pods that contain hard
and long-lasting seeds that must be scarified
before they will germinate.