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Mesquite trees belong in Arizona. As Jay Sharp, editor and author for the web site DesertUSA.com, expresses, “the mesquites symbolize our Southwestern deserts” as much as “the Coyote, the Black-tail Jackrabbit, the Western Diamondback, scorpions, the Saguaro and prickly pear cacti.” Indeed, mesquite trees in Arizona are ”as blended into the life of the land as cornbread and tortillas.” (Lometa) Perfectly Adapted to the Desert Mesquites are very hardy desert trees, having adapted over the centuries to life in the desert landscapes in and around Arizona. All of their physical characteristics see to it their survival here, including their foliage, their bean pods, and their root systems. They grow well in full sun and high temperatures, but will likewise tolerate the cold for the duration of Arizona’s winter (down to 0º Fahrenheit). They are now and again found in rather high elevation and will adjust to shoal rocky soils. According to reports by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, a mesquite tree may live for more than two centuries. (Sharp) Mesquite trees in Arizona may survive in areas that receive very little rainfall because of their expansive root system. The lateral roots of a mesquite tree reach out a good deal of times further than it is canopy. They also have very deep tap roots that may dig for a drink as deep as 175 feet underneath ground level, altho a depth of 50 feet is more typical. So, they simultaneously have access to water both at the very top and bottom layers of the soil. The tiny waxy leaflets of mesquite trees retain precious moisture by minimizing the moisture lost through transpiration. They are deciduous trees, meaning they offer magnificent shade for the duration of the summer but drop their leaves and grant the sunshine through for the duration of the winter for warmth. During uttermost drought, they will diminish transpiration even further by prematurely dropping their leaves. The mesquite tree is a fellow member of the legume family (relatives of beans and peas), which makes it exceptionally adapted to an arid environment. Mesquite trees have the capacity to fertilize themselves and surrounding plants through a symbiotic kinship with colonies of soil bacteria. The bacteria that populate mesquite tree roots convert or “fix” atmospheric nitrogen, making available in the soil this solid homogeneous inorgani substance that is necessary for the growth and germination of plants. Many gardeners apply this same routine to enrich soil by planting nitrogen fixing cover crops. (Sharp, Schalau) Mesquite trees in Arizona are amazingly prolific. Their beans, encased in protective pods, are very durable. In fact, “A seed left undisturbed in it is pod may stay viable for up to 40 years.” (Clayton) Animals play an important role in the scarification of the seeds (needed for germination) and dispersal through fecal matter. Appearance Mesquite trees are easy to identify, looking closely like a giant fern bush. They may reach a height of 30 feet, but the intermediate mesquite tree growing wild in the Arizona desert is regarding half that size. Many have multiple trunks. Under the harshest of conditions, the mesquite will resemble a bush more than a tree. Their branch structure is oftentimes very twisted and jointed, adding to their person uniqueness. In the spring and early summer, they display clusters of finger-shaped protuberances covered in tiny delicate flowers. These are followed by the formation of the long, thin bean pods, which are normally a shade of brown but vary in aspect among species. Many types of mesquite trees have thorns of a great deal of kind, which may either be very short or monstrous in length (and all are horribly sharp!). Three Arizona Mesquite Tree Natives & Their Cousins There are in regards to 40 mesquite varieties found worldwide, but three species are native to the state of Arizona. They grow not only in the Sonoran desert, but also in the Mojave and Chihuahuan deserts. Their range is astonishing, spanning tens of millions or acres from western Texas to California, from Mexico to southern parts of Utah. They may thrive in a great diversity of habitats as found within the range described. (Lometa, Sharp) The three mesquite tree species native to Arizona are:
Besides these three, there are numerous other types of mesquite trees that grow in Arizona. Many are hybrids of the honey, velvet or screwbean mesquite, occurring largely where the respective ranges of these native species overlap. Others are nonnative mesquite species, most originating from South America. There is the Argentine mesquite (Prosopis alba), the Chilean mesquite (Prosopis chilensis), and numerous other varieties and their hybrids. No nonnative species will be as suitable to the climate here as the mesquites that are native to Arizona. For example, the Chilean mesquite does not seem as tolerant of the lower winter temperatures in Arizona. Botanical Foes Despite their a good deal of positive qualities, mesquite trees are considered by a good deal of as an invasive weed. In some countries outside of North and South America where they have been introduced they have been exceedingly invasive and troublesome, specially in Australia. The mesquite tree is cursed by inhabitants of our own Arizona desert as well. Cattlemen exceptionally dislike them, but the overgrazing of their herds over the past couple of centuries has exacerbated the very problem that they complain about, which is the mesquite tree’s contest with grasses. In an area that is overgrazed, cattle not only threaten the populations of the natural grasses that compete with mesquite trees for water, but they likewise support the mesquites disseminate by eating and dispersing the seeds. As Frank Dobie puts it, “The white man sowed with over-grazing; he is now reaping thickets of mesquites that are stabbing millions of acres of land into non-productiveness.” All attempts to thwart or control this stubborn native Arizona tree have all failed and been deemed impractical or ineffective. Whether by fire, herbicide use, or physical tree remotion of respective means, the costs and environmental side effects of attempting to control the population and disseminate of the mesquite have made it a problem with no easy solution. Sharp reminds us: “Uninvited guest or welcome neighbor, the mesquites belong to the desert. They evolved in the desert. They play a core role in the desert ecosystem.” (Jay Sharp) Historic Significance and Modern Uses “Over the past assorted centuries, no one plant has in all probability played a dandier and more critical role in the lives of humankind in the southwestern United States than the short stature, crooked mesquite.” (excerpted from The Magnificent Mesquite by Ken E. Rogers.) Indeed, the mesquite trees strewn throughout the Southwest have in a literal sense saved a good deal of lives. They provided the “manna from heaven” for the suffering men of the 1841 Texas Santa Fe Expedition, as recorded in the diary of George W. Kendall (also cited by Rogers). The beans are sweet and nutritious, and more protein-rich than the soybean. (Lometa) Another feed that comes from the mesquite trees in Arizona (though not directly) is honey. The swarms of bees that are strongly attracted to the mesquite flower’s nectar do more than just fill their indispensable role as pollinators, after all. This, however, does not finish the list of foods derived from the mesquite. Even their sap has been employed as sweet gum or as black dye. ‘Pinole’ is made by grinding the pods, with or without the beans still inside. It may be employed as four or, because of it is sweetness, as a condiment or spice. This mesquite flour is said to be healthful for diabetics, because it is sweetened by fructose, which the body processes without insulin. This is just one example of the a good deal of digestive and nutritional vantages of the mesquite tree and other foods of the desert that has been discovered. (Lometa) Various parts of the mesquite tree have likewise been used as remedies for a good deal of dissimilar ailments by the Indians and settlers of the frontier era. Examples of the ailments that the mesquite tree helped to ease or heal are: diarrhea, dysentery, colic, flesh wounds, headaches, ailing eyes, and sore throat. The wood, bark and pods of mesquite trees are popularly employed for barbecue and for other purposes. The arid wood burns slow, hot and with very little smoke. It has an unmistakable aroma. Some insist that burning the pods along with the charcoal and wood chips make the flavor even richer. (Lometa) Besides for heat and for cooking, the wood has been used for the construction of Spanish missions, colonial haciendas, ranch houses and fencing. (Sharp) The Native Americans employed the hard mesquite wood for spears and arrowheads, and the bark of the mesquite tree for making baskets and fabrics. The thorns were used as needles. Today the wood is artistically worthful for making furniture or sculpture because of it is at times dark colors and beauteous gnarled patterns. Of course, mesquite trees in Arizona are beneficial not only to people but likewise to our wildlife. Animals use the mesquite as shelter, habitat and food. In the late summer and fall, mesquite beans make up as much as 80 percent of the coyote’s diet! The bean pods also may serve as fodder for livestock when the grasses are inadequate. Maintenance, Problems and Treatments Though mesquite trees in Arizona do not require much maintenance, the specimens growing around our homes could gain from a little extra care for the duration of unusually hot summers or times of extended drought. Sun-scorch is one of the very few troubles that may plague mesquite trees planted as part of landscaping, though they are not as susceptible to this as are citrus and other fruit trees in Arizona. Infrequent but deep watering and occasional fertilizing will aid make sure that the mesquites around our homes do not suffer a decline of health and beauty. During years when Arizona receives plentiful rainfall, mesquite trees do not need extra watering. However, in times of drought, the leaves will become sparse and concede more sunlight through to the branches. This is exacerbated by the need in the city to keep mesquite trees thinned out to survive storms and heavy winds, so as not to cause harm to homes and other structures. If the bark is exposed to too much intense sun, sun-scorch may occur, exceptionally where the sunlight is most direct (i.e. on the top of horizontal segmentations at midday). Sun-scorch causes permanent harm to the cambium, or the sapwood layer beneath the bark. The cracked bark and dead tissues resulting from severe sun-scorch may lead to secondary contagions and infestations, such as bark beetles and a fungus called ‘sooty canker’. Sun-scorch on mesquite trees in Arizona may be prevented but not undone. Reflective paint on the most vulnerable sections will minimize a mesquite tree’s prospects of being sun-damaged. Branches already affected ought to be got rid of back to a branch with healthful tissues. The best way to prevent sun-scorch is to give hope or courage to leafy growth to protect the tree during the hotter share of the year by a lot of watering and by light fertilizing. Give the mesquite trees ammonium sulfate once in the springtime. Unless already fed by drippers or sprinklers (whether in your own or in a neighboring yard), water them deeply each two months from early spring to early fall. If the monsoons fetch adequate water, skip deep-watering for the duration of this period. A mesquite tree that is planted in someone’s yard may not be as hardy as the volunteer trees growing wild in the desert. Most likely, a nursery-grown mesquite tree planted for landscaping intents has expended some time in a pot. The more time any tree spends in a pot, the more likely it is to become root-bound. An impaired root system makes for a mesquite tree that not only struggles to receive what little water they need to thrive, but likewise is more prone to falling over because their ‘anchoring’ is not as sturdy. John Begeman says, “Try as you may, it is inconceivable to get a wobbly tree to anchor in the ground. By putting up more inviolable stakes and wires, righting the tree when it falls over, [...] you are just prolonging the inevitable. [...] The best thing to do with an unstable tree is to get rid of it and begin over with a healthful specimen.” Please refer to his article entitled Remove Wobbly Mesquite Trees [http://ag.arizona.edu/gardening/news/articles/17.29.html] for more selective information on the subject. If not one thing else, I hope that this article on mesquite trees in Arizona increments a heap of Arizonans’ appreciation for this native plant as something that undeniably belongs in this desert we call home. “Primroses burn their yellow fires Where grass and roadway meet; Feathered and tasseled like a queen, Is each old mesquite.” -J. Frank Dobie BIBLIOGRAPHY Begeman, John. “Remove Wobbly Mesquite Trees.” Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information. Sep 2003. Begeman, John. “Sun-Scorched Mesquite and Palo Verde.” Arid-Southwestern Gardening Information. Mar 2000. Clayton, Robin N. “Velvet Mesquite Tree.” Arizona Highways. Dobie, Frank J. “The Mesquite.” Arizona Highways. Nov 1941. Lometa. “Mesquite (Thing).” Everything2. Aug 2002. Shalau, Jeff. “Respect the Mesquite Tree.” Backyard Gardener. Jan 2007. Sharp, Jay W. “The Mesquite: Something that Belongs.” DesertUSA. Most helpful customer reviews 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It is not a Texas natives book although it includes some of them. What it does give you is all the basic information you need to make a decision about 300 plants regarding appropriateness for your landscape and care – in a very concise way. There isn’t one book that I’ve seen for Texas that thoroughly covers both natives and non-natives so I will probably have to purchase one for natives too. This book offers help in recognizing common grass and plant pests and gives reasonable management suggestions that lean toward integrated pest management rather than pesticides. You also get some help in selecting and caring for lawn grasses, fruits, herbs and vegetables. You also get a gardening calendar and pruning advice. All quite a lot for the money. I wish there were more natives – like the every reliable Blackfoot daisy that every dry garden would enjoy. Maybe for their next edition! 1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. |
Fairly thorough Plant Resource
Promotes invasive non-native plants
