# honey mesquite (*Neltuma glandulosa*) The honey mesquite is a special tree that grows in warm, dry places. It has long, feathery leaves and produces sweet pods that many animals love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Desert - **Also known as:** Sweet Mesquite ![honey mesquite](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Prosopis-glandulosa-foliage.JPG&width=800) Photo: Don A.W. Carlson, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prosopis-glandulosa-foliage.JPG) ## Appearance The honey mesquite is a thorny shrub or small tree with a often gnarled trunk and feathery, light green compound leaves. It produces distinctive yellowish-green flowers on slender spikes and long, sweet, yellowish-brown seed pods. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Prosopis ## Interesting facts - Ancient people used mesquite for tools, shelter, medicine, and food for thousands of years! - It's a desert champion, capable of surviving extreme heat and long periods of drought! - Its sweet pods can be ground into flour to make delicious bread or desserts! - The dense, aromatic mesquite wood is a favorite for grilling and barbecuing! ## Special abilities - **Root Diver:** Honey mesquite can grow incredibly deep taproots that help it find water far underground in dry desert lands. - **Thorny Protector:** Honey mesquite has sharp thorns on its branches that help it defend against hungry animals trying to eat its leaves. - **Soil Helper:** Honey mesquite can fix nitrogen into the soil, helping enrich it and allowing other plants to grow nearby. - **Fire Resistor:** Honey mesquite can resprout quickly from its roots after fires, helping it survive and thrive in its habitat. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 500-900 cm - **Spread:** 300-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees collect nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on its leaves and eat its sweet pods. - **Eaten by:** [coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Coyotes consume the nutritious pods, aiding seed dispersal. - **Shelter:** [cactus wren](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cactus-wren) (*Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus*) — Wrens build nests in its thorny branches for protection. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Be careful around trees and watch for sharp thorns on their branches. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify honey mesquite? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is honey mesquite? 500-900 cm ### How wide does honey mesquite spread? 300-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on honey mesquite? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does honey mesquite bloom? Spring to summer ### Is honey mesquite edible? Yes ### Is honey mesquite toxic? None ### What is honey mesquite's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [McClellan Creek National Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mcclellan-creek-national-grassland) — Texas, US · National Park - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park - [Thurber](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/thurber) — Texas, US · Neighborhood - [Metropolitan Park Bathhouse and Pool Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/metropolitan-park-bathhouse-and-pool-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Abilene Zoological Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/abilene-zoological-gardens) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Elephant Butte Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elephant-butte-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District [View all places to see honey mesquite](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/honey-mesquite) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Honey Mesquite: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honey-mesquite)