Screwbean mesquite
Prosopis pubescens
Summary 6
Prosopis pubescens (screwbean mesquite) is native to southwest North America and is flowering shrub or tree that is in the pea family (Fabaceae). It grows well in damp and sandy soil and can be found commonly growing along streams in the desert habitats.
Botanical Information 7
The screwbean mesquite can grow up to 32 feet tall and there can be multiple trunks with branches that have multiple thorns. The leaves are 2-6 cm long with up to 18 small leaflets. In the spring, yellow flowers called "catkins" bloom on a shoot that looks fuzzy. According to the USDA NRCS, the pollen is toxic to honey bees. One of the most noticeable characteristic of this shrub is what it is named after--the tanish yellow colored pod cluster. The tightly twisted pods contain the seeds and grow in clusters of 2 to 15.
Ecological Information 8
The screwbean mesquite or the Prosopis pubescens is a native shrub in our New Mexico ecosystems. It can be seen in the Rio Grande Bosque. The screwbean mesquite is a shrub that does not need that much water and likes to be in full sun, which is why it grows well in the desert. Screwbean mesquite provides food for insects with its nectar because the screwbean mesquite has flowers. Birds and tree dwelling animals may use this tree as shelter, nesting, and also as food. This plant grows in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California, and Nevada.
Ethnobotanical Information 8
The screwbean mesquite is a tree or shrub that can provide edible seeds. It makes a great cake and it looks like a small skinny banana. It can be used medicinally to regulate blood sugar. The screwbean mesquite's dark sap can also work as glue or hair dye. According to the USDA, the Indigenous Peoples of the southwestern part of North America have used the screwbean pods as food in the past and presently. Also according to the USDA, the Pima have used screwbean mesquite in many ways from dressing wounds with the bark of the root, boiling the root into a tea for menstrual aliments, and making fences and baskets from the branches. (Note: Ethnobotanical reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)
References 9
California Native Plant Society. (2012). Screwbean Mesquite- Prosopis pubescens. Calscape California Native Plant Society. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://calscape.org/Prosopis-pubescens-()
Gardenia. (n.d.). Prosopis pubescens (Screwbean Mesquite). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.gardenia.net/plant/prosopis-pubescens
Sharp, J. W. (n.d.). Mesquite Tree - Prosopis pubescens, Prosopis velutina, Prosopis glandulosa - DesertUSA. DesertUSA. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.desertusa.com/flora/mesquite-tree.html
United States Department of Agriculture. (2014). Prosopis pubescens Benth. In
PLANTS Database. Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=PRPU
About the Author 8
Student author(s)*: Daniel (age 13) from South Valley Academy
*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/
Sources and Credits
- (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/treegrow/3935043335/
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/36223066263/
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/36889878231/
- (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/42039107874/
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/36195511364/
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_pubescens
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by Kiley Spurlock from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Fruit | spiraling bean pod |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | perennial |
| Native | yes |
| Flower color | yellow |
| Type | tree/shrub |
| Uses | building material, medicinal/edible |
