Accession Count: 6
Common Name:
screwbean mesquite
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Prosopis pubescens
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The screwbean mesquite leaves are bipinnate that are one inch long and have six to eight pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are a quarter of an inch long.
Compound:
Pro pub
Geographic Origin:
Desert Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The native geographic place of the Prosopis pubescens is the Southwest Desert. From the natural habitat of desert, plains, stream banks, and arroyos this species has been distributed to Los Angeles, Oklahoma, South California and Northern Mexico (2).
Cultivation Notes:
Stems are armed with many thorns; conspicuous flowers occur in spring and are followed by a unique spiral-shaped bean pod.
Ethnobotany:
The screwbean mesquite is multi-trunked with invasive roots and is slow growing. Training is needed to care for the messy tree. The vase-shaped canopy provides light filtered shade good for walk ways and patios minus the mess.
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
16 - 20 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Jones, Warren D, and Charles M Sacamano. Landscape Plants for Dry Regions: More Than 600 Species from around the World. Fisher Books, 2000.
- wildflower.org
