Honey Mesquite

Neltuma glandulosa Origin: La Quinta, California Improvement status: Wild Seeds per packet: ~20 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Perennial Native to Southwest US and Northern Mexico, this thorny leguminous tree (sometimes called “Texas mesquite") is an excellent honey plant, but it also has edible pods and a range of medicinal uses. Its hard wood is good for tool-making and construction, and when burned it produces a flavorful smoke beloved for Texas Bar-B-Q. It has white or pale yellow flowers beloved by pollinators in the spring and summer. The bush can make an imposing thicket with its reddish thorns, and long, droopy branches. This also makes it excellent habitat for a range of wildlife, including birds, small mammals, and all sorts of insects. Mesquite powder is an important foodstuff made from the pods. It’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and can be used as a gluten-free wheat substitute in certain foods. Wikipedia has a good summary of how mesquite i