Accession Count: 118
Common Name:
Argentine mesquite
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Prosopis alba
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Argentine Mesquite has bipinnate leaves that are four to five inches long. Each leaf has 40 pairs of leaflets. The water use is none to monthly and has a 10-15ºF hardiness.
Compound:
Pro alb
Geographic Origin:
South America
Ecozone Origin:
Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The origin of the P. alba is South Amercia. The Argentine mesquite tree is the common name for a whole Prosopis genus rather than just one species. The Prosopis genus is comprised of over forty-five species of trees. Of the forty-five species, Prosopis alba has hybridized with the South-West native Prosopis velutina creating a whole range of characteristics including lack of thorns and persistent year round foliage.
Cultivation Notes:
With frequent landscape irrigation mesquites develop large lush tops with inadequate root systems and can often blow over. This unfortunate trait however is easily avoided by watering less frequently and watering very deeply. This will encourage deeper root growth balancing with the top and providing anchorage.
Ethnobotany:
All Argentine mesquite trees are valued as firewood especially for the flavor the resulting smoke gives in BBQ’s. The trees produce bean pods in abundance prized as fodder for a great variety of wildlife. They are even used for human consumption.
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Fast Growing
Grow Season:
Flower Season:
ForeSummer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- Duffield, Mary Rose., and Warren D. Jones. Plants For Dry Climates - How To Select, Grow And Enjoy. Lane Publishing Company, 1992.
