# screwbean (*Strombocarpa pubescens*)

The screwbean is a special plant with curly, twisty seed pods that look like little spirals! It grows in warm places and is great for helping the soil stay healthy.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Desert

![screwbean](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Prosopis_pubescens_beans.jpg&width=800)

Photo: user:pompilid, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prosopis_pubescens_beans.jpg)

## Appearance

The screwbean is a thorny shrub or small tree with silvery-green leaves. It features distinctive, yellow-green flowers and uniquely twisted, corkscrew-shaped seed pods that ripen to beige. Its appearance helps it stand out in arid desert landscapes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Prosopis

## Interesting facts

- Even its tough wood was used to make tools and sturdy buildings!
- Its sweet, twisty pods were a super important food for many desert people!
- The plant’s name comes from its amazing, corkscrew-shaped seed pods!
- This resilient desert dweller can survive for more than 100 years!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Master:** Screwbean can grow incredibly deep roots to find precious water in dry deserts, helping it survive long periods without rain.
- **Soil Builder:** Screwbean has special root nodules that add valuable nitrogen to the soil, making it richer for other plants.
- **Twisty Traveler:** Screwbean has uniquely twisted pods that break apart slowly, dropping seeds over time and allowing them to spread far.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 200-700 cm
- **Spread:** 150-600 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Bighorn sheep](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bighorn-sheep) (*Ovis canadensis*) — eats its leaves and pods
- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — gathers nectar from its flowers
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — fixes nitrogen in its roots
- **Eaten by:** [Mule deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — browses its foliage and seed pods
- **Shelter:** [Phainopepla](https://www.snappit.app/explore/phainopepla) (*Phainopepla nitens*) — nests within its thorny branches

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.
- [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.
- [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:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless an adult says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify screwbean?

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 screwbean?

200-700 cm

### How wide does screwbean spread?

150-600 cm

### How big are the flowers on screwbean?

0.5-1 cm

### When does screwbean bloom?

Summer

### Is screwbean edible?

Yes

### Is screwbean toxic?

None

### What is screwbean's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Mesilla Plaza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mesilla-plaza) — New Mexico, US · Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Screwbean: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/screwbean)