Prosopis Species, Honey Mesquite

This is one of the best and most reliable trees for Utah hands down. I have had success with Prosopis glandulosa in Salt Lake City, Utah ...Read More(zone 7b) for over 20 years now and takes our coldest and hottest weather with complete ease and no damage whatsoever. I have been recommending that people replace their honey locusts with this beautiful desert tree for years and my advice is starting to ring true. I’ve noticed that most immature honey locusts in zones 7 and above where pretty badly damaged last year by surprisingly TOO MUCH WARMTH during winter. The trees started thinking it was spring in the middle of winter and ended up with them being split down the middle because they opened up and then we had a cold snap and ice got into the cracks. My Honey Mesquite trees have never had this issue and never will, theyre adapted to this exact climate and are much superior. They are also MUCH more beautiful than honey locusts in my opinion. This tree is a perfect match for the desert southwest (And YES that includes Utah north of St George as well). I hope that people start coming around and realizing it’s a much better choice here. This is one of my absolute favorite deciduous trees, and they are so heat and drought tolerant it’s not even funny. If you live in Utah drive down to the southern part of the state and purchase this tree from the many nurseries that sell them or get them shipped up north and you won’t be disappointed. This tree is overly hardy to be able to grow here and there won’t be any issues whatsoever. Hopefully enough of us can convince the nurseries up north to get this tree in stock. It’s honestly mind blowing that they’re not planted on every single street here.

Have a variety called Breadstick sweeter pods for milling into flour.. That being Said it does not come true form seed.
OHH!! but ...Read Moredo i get a lot o seedlings from it everywhere can be invasive! I still love it
The tree grows super fast with good real deep watering. Do not water shallow will not let roots get deep and with Monsoons here In Phoenix area trees with shallow root system will for sure blow over.
As for soil it will grow in out native sand, & clay.Grows best for me in a mixture of said soils, I also use wood chips all over my yard to keep ground cooler and somewhat control the little seedling i get from my trees.Wood Chips break down and feed the soil microbes that will stabilize the soil.

The World Conservation Union has included this species in their list of 100 of the world's worst invasive species, one of only 32 terrest...Read Morerial species so singled out. [HYPERLINK@www.k-state.edu]

Florida has designated it a noxious weed.

It generates much airborne pollen and is a moderate allergen.

Where it's been introduced in Africa, Asia, and Australia, it damages native ecosystems.

In Texas, where it's native, ranchers despise mesquite and spend much money and effort in generally unsuccessful efforts to control it. Under grazing pressure, it outcompetes the grasses and forms extensive, impenetrable monocultures. Its weediness is attributed to human fire control efforts, overgrazing, and prairie dog eradication.

I grew up with a very old specimen of this tree in my front yard. It was a long lived specimen which had survived since before this area ...Read Moreof Texas was settled.

It was a fantastic tree for most of the year. It had attractive sweet smelling flowers in the spring. Most of the year it provided dappled shade that didn't inhibit the grass growing underneath. Later in the year interesting long bean pods hung from the tree. In the winter it shed all it's leaves letting the winter sun shine onto the house. All the neighborhood children found it an ideal climbing spot.

As an adult I've learned more positive attributes. It was fertilizing the grass that surrounded it, the beans are actually a healthy food, and it may even have been pulling additional water to the surface for the other plants.

Unfortunately, the tree loses more than just leaves in the winter. We carried most thorns from the yard embedded through the soles of our shoes and into our feet. The thorns were nearly two inches long. A saving grace was that the strength of the wood mean we could remove the thorns without leaving pieces behind.

I am considering planting another honey mesquite at my current home. I liked growing up with one in my yard. I'm still gonna hold out for a thornless variety.