Velvet Mesquite - Arizona Tree Profiles

You can not tell the story of the Sonoran Desert without mentioning the Velvet Mesquite. It has had an integral role in the evolution of all species that live here. It's a life giver to plant and animal alike. The Mesquite tree is one of the three cornerstone trees of the Sonoran Desert, along with the Palo Verde and the Desert Ironwood. The entire structure of the desert is built off of their presence in the ecosystem. The reason the Sonoran Desert is the most bio-diverse desert in the world is because of these tree species, enabled by higher rain amounts caused by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The Velvet Mesquite is quite possibly the most well represented tree species, at least in the northern deserts of Arizona. Human civilization has thrived in these parts largely due to the abundance of food, medicine and fuel that this tree has had to offer. If you live in Arizona and have space in your yard for a tree, please consider giving back to the ecosystem for all that we take by planting this native beauty who is already evolutionarily suited to provide the most abundant benefit for all the living beings it is directly connected to. The Velvet Mesquite folks! An Arizona legend!

Velvet Mesquite
Prosopis Velutina

Family: Pea or Bean
Height: 20-30'
Tree: single or multiple crooked trunks branching near the ground, arching branches, irregular crown
Leaf: compound, 1-2.5" long, long alternating attached, central stalk bifurcating into 2 stalks, each with 10-20 pairs of narrow leaflets
Bark: brown and smooth, breaks into long narrow scaly strips with age
Flower: yellow-to-green flower in elongated clusters
Fruit: pea-like green pod, turning tan with age, seeds and pod are edible
Fall Color: yellow
Habitat: rocky and sandy soils below 4,000 ft deserts, along washes and streams, sun

Taproot grows over 100 feet, reaching water deep underground. Seeds need abrasion to germinate. Coyotes eat seeds in late summer. Native peoples made tasty pinole from the seeds. Distinguished from similar mesquites, like the Honey Mesquite and the Screwbean Mesquite, by the hairy, velvety leaves. One of the few desert trees with enough nectar to make honey.

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