Types of Mesquite Trees

The Foothill Palo Verde is a keystone species, especially in the Arizona Uplands subdivision, (known as a Palo Verde/Saguaro forest) of the Sonoran desert. As a hub of life, these trees create microhabitats that are critical to the structure and function of the Sonoran desert scrub biotic community.

Desert Ironwood Tree The following information is reprinted from the Desert Ironwood Primer: Biodiversity and Uses Associated with Ancient Legume and Cactus Forests in the Sonoran Desert. Originally published in 2000 by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the Desert Ironwood Primer reports on studies by a bi-national team to conduct a region-wide assessment of Desert Ironwood habitat.

Mesquite is the most common shrub/small tree of the desert southwest. Like many members of the legume family (called Fabaceae these days), mesquite restores nitrogen to the soil. There are three common species of mesquite: honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens ) and velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina).

Prosopis velutina, commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium-sized perennial tree.It is a legume adapted to a dry, desert climate. Though considered to be a noxious weed in states outside its natural range, it plays a vital role in the ecology of the Sonoran Desert

The screwbean mesquite is a small tree or shrub native to southern California. It sets itself apart from its traditional mesquite cousin with its attractive, corkscrew shaped bean pods that appear in the summer. Keep reading to learn more screwbean mesquite info, including screwbean mesquite care and how to grow screwbean mesquite trees.

Vachellia constricta ... Fires were rare in the Sonoran Desert due to the noncontinuous fuels that result from dominance by trees and ... Mesquite ecosystems in the ...

Since mesquite trees of different species do often look very similar I recommend that anyone trying to determine a tree’s species examine the trees in qestion very carefully for differences. The second most common mesquite tree in the U.S., the velvet mesquite, can grow as tall as the honey mesquite and is generally the larger of the two trees, with a trunk around 24 inches in diameter.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences AZ1429 Figure 1: Leaf of Prosopis alba Mesquite and Palo Verde Trees for the Urban Landscape Ursula K. Schuch and Jack J. Kelly. 2 trunk is tan and smooth when young but becomes rougher and darker as the tree matures. Texas honey mesquite is native to the southwestern U.S. including Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and into northern Mexico. Due to its ornamental ...