Prosopis nigra (Black mesquite, Algarrobo negro) P. nigra . Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Please click here for more information. It is a member of the legume family of plants which includes peanuts, alfalfa, clover, and beans. It lends the perfect amount of bright, dappled shade to a yard; providing protection from the harsh rays, but allowing enough light in for other plants to grow underneath. Honey mesquite has a showy trunk; thorns are present on the trunk as well as the branches. Abundance: plentiful. The Comanche chewed the leaves and swallowed the juice for an antacid. Honey mesquite like hot, arid areas and growing in full sun. To support our efforts please browse our store (books with medicinal info, etc.). A common sight in desert landscapes, particularly on mesquite trees, are the colorful giant mesquite bugs. EdibleWildFood.com is informational in nature. There are usually one paired division (pinnae) per leaf and 6 to 15 leaflets per pinna. Leaves emerge late, usually after the last frost. glandulosa. The flowers, pods, and even leaves have many culinary uses. Often multi-trunked with a weeping habit. This plant and the related entity italicized and indented above can be weedy or invasive according to the authoritative sources noted below.This plant may be known by one or more common names in different places, and some are listed above. It is a member of the legume family of plants which includes peanuts, alfalfa, clover, and beans. All Rights Reserved. This tree is sometimes grown as a specimen plant in the landscape. Some wild plants are poisonous or can have serious adverse health effects. The beans can provide fair forage for livestock and wildlife but can be toxic to livestock if consumed as a high percentage of the diet. This involved boiling the tar and applying the mixture to the hair, covering the hair with mud over night, then thoroughly washing the next morning. The fruit forms as a long, flat yellowish brown pod holding many bean-like seeds that are flattened, hard and dark brown. While we strive to be 100% accurate, it is solely up to the reader to ensure proper plant identification. We are not health professionals, medical doctors, nor are we nutritionists. It has spiny branches and leaves with 7-18 sets of paired leaflets. The honey mesquite tree can reach heights of up to 9 metres (30'). Mesquite flowers can be collected and made into tea or roasted and formed into balls and stored for a later food supply. Easy-Growing Shade and Long-Lived Adaptability Why Mesquite Trees?Known as the “Tree of Life,” the Mesquite Tree is famous for supplying shade, classic good looks and easy benefits. Twigs are armed with sharp thorns up to 10cm (2”) long especially on young plants. honey mesquite, but has smaller leaves with one pair of pinnae . The mesquite wood is often used as fuel or as charcoal for cooking. Spines slender but strong, 1/4" to 1 1/2" long, tapering gradually from base to sharp apex. The legumes are straight and nearly as thick as they are broad, 7 to 20 cm (3 to 8”) long. The Navajo used the wood from honey mesquite to construct bows. Although very widely introduced around the world, honey mesquite is quite common in Australia and southern Africa. Click on an acronym to view each weed list, or click here for a composite list of Weeds of the U.S. STATE: Assorted authors. Each flower has 10 stamens and white woolly ovaries. Mesquite trees are also good firewood and are commonly known as nitrogen-fixing trees, enhancing soil fertility. In-depth wild edible PDFs. In the past, wildfires would keep the honey mesquite in check. It occurs in parts of southern Europe, the Middle East, parts of Asia and in Cuba.