Prosopis glandulosa

Prosopis glandulosa is a deciduous tree growing to 7 m tall and wide at a fast rate, hardy to UK zone 8. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils preferring good drainage. Tolerates mildly acidic through basic soil pH. Requires full sun and cannot grow in shade. Prefers moist soil with drought tolerance. Bee and insect-pollinated flowers support self-fertility, nitrogen fixation, and wildlife attraction.

Description

A large spiny shrub. It grows 6-9 m high and spreads 8 m wide. It loses its leaves during the year. The trunk can be 30 cm across. The stems are spiny. The leaves are twice divided. They are 7.5-20 cm long. There are a pair of side axes each with 7-17 pairs of stalkless leaflets. These are 1-3.2 cm long. They are yellow-green and narrowly oblong. The flowers are yellow and fluffy. The flowers are 6 mm long and in clusters 5-7.5 cm long. They are rich in nectar. The fruit are pale yellow narrow pods. They are 9-20 cm long and 10 mm wide. These narrow pods end on a long narrow point. They are slightly flattened and have a wavy edge between the seeds. The pulp is sweet. There are 12-20 seeds.

Edible Uses

The pods and gum from the bark are both edible. Immature seedpods are eaten like string beans and have a sweet flavour. Pods range from 8–20cm long and 7–13mm wide, containing 5–18 seeds. Cooked and ground seedpods and seeds can be mixed with water and fermented into a beverage, or the juice of cooked immature pods can be squeezed out and drunk like milk as a summer drink. Mature pods can be eaten without processing or pounded in a mortar into flour, then dampened with water and left for 24 hours to harden. The resulting meal was formed into cakes and eaten dry, made into a mush, or mixed with water as a beverage. Seeds ground into powder have been used to make bread, pancakes, or mush. A fermented pinole made from the seeds was a favoured intoxicating drink among many native peoples. The brownish seeds are around 6mm long. White resinous secretions from the tree are used to make candy or chewed like gum. Roots have been used to flavour drinks and make them stronger. Roasted inflorescences are formed into a ball and eaten, and the flowers can also be used to make a tea. The pods are considered a staple crop providing balanced carbohydrate.

Traditional Uses

The seeds and pods have been used to prepare meal and cakes. The green pods contain a sweet pulp and can be cooked and eaten or made into jelly. The dried pods are ground into meal and used in breads, cakes, muffins and pancakes. The plant is the source of a gum. The nectar of the flower can be sucked.

Medicinal Uses

The plant has been used to control lice and to treat sore throat, skin sores, and ulcers. It is reported to be a collyrium, emetic, and laxative, and is a folk remedy for dyspepsia, eruptions, hernias, and skin and umbilical ailments. The bark is astringent; an infusion of it is used to treat bedwetting in children. Leaves are chewed and the juice swallowed to neutralize stomach acid. A leaf infusion is used to treat fevers. Leaf juice is applied as a wash for irritated eyes and eyelids. A decoction of leaves and empty seedpods is used as an eye bath. Gum from the tree, diluted with water, is used as an astringent wash on open wounds, sores, and sore eyes.

Distribution

It is a warm temperate plant. It grows on sandy plains and sandhills. It can grow in desert grassland. It can grow on slightly salty soils. In the SE region of the USA it grows to 1700 m altitude. It can grow in arid places. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Botswana, India, Kenya, Mexico*, Namibia, North America, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sudan, USA*, West Africa,

Cultivation

It can be found at elevations up to 3,000 metres. It thrives under high temperatures and survives in areas with very low precipitation but is then usually found in areas with groundwater reserves. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 18 - 28°c, but can tolerate 14 - 40°c. When dormant, the plant is very cold-tolerant and can survive temperatures down to about -22°c, but young growth is much more tender and can be severely damaged at -1°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 300 - 800mm, but tolerates 200 - 1,000mm. Requires an open, sunny position and a well-drained soil. Tolerant of a range of soils, including moderately saline. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 5 - 7.5. Established plants are very drought tolerant. A fast-growing tree. Prosopis glandulosa has been widely introduced and planted as a fuel and fodder tree. Seed are spread widely by grazing animals from established plantations or single trees around houses or water-holes, and will persist for long periods in the seed bank. It has shown itself to be a very aggressive invader, especially in sub-tropical arid and semi-arid natural grasslands, both in its native range and where introduced. It is a nitrogen-fixing species and very drought and salt tolerant, rapidly out-competing other vegetation. Thorniness and a bushy habit enable it to quickly block paths and make whole areas impenetrable. Invasion in the native range generally involves an increase in plant density rather than an increase in its range. It is a declared noxious weed in Australia and South Africa, and the genus as a whole is regulated in several other countries. In its drier, western range, the plant occurs along streams and in low-lying areas. In areas with more rainfall, it occurs on open range or in chaparral. The plant has a very deep root system that has been known to penetrate 18 metres into the grouns and can extract moisture from the water table. Honey locust is tolerant of high intensity fires. Although all top growth may be killed, sprouts arise from underground buds that are dormant on an underground stem A long period of consistently low daily minimum temperatures during the winter provides the tree with the chilling requirement that facilitates early bud break. Once the chilling requirement is met, relatively warm minimum daily temperatures can hasten bud break. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria; these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. Carbon Farming - Cultivation: historic staple. Management: standard, coppice. Mesquite pods are typically harvested in late Summer to Autumn, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Mesquite trees flower in Spring, usually from April to June (Northern Hemisphere). Mesquite trees are fast growers, often reaching heights of 4-10 meters (12-35 feet) in just a few years, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Many species of Prosopis are self-fertile, allowing them to produce pods without needing another tree for pollination.

Propagation

Seeds may benefit from scarification before sowing. Pour a small amount of nearly boiling water over the seeds, taking care not to cook them, then soak in warm water for 12–24 hours. Seeds should swell visibly; if they have not, carefully nick the seed coat without damaging the embryo and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

Other Uses

The tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen and can fix 30–40 kg of nitrogen per hectare with 30% canopy cover. Its deep roots and open canopy create little competition for field crops, and soils beneath it are enriched with nitrogen. It is used in alley cropping, windbreaks, and timber belts, and provides shade, shelter, erosion control, and fencing support. The tree is a fast-growing pioneer suited to restoring soil and re-establishing native woodland. A high-quality gum from the tree is comparable to gum arabic from Acacia senegal and is considered the most important gum-producing plant in North America. A resin obtained from the tree is used as an adhesive. The bark is a good source of tannins. Fibrous outer root layers are used to make mats, rough fabrics, and cord. Spines can be used as needles for tattooing or removing splinters. The bark makes good kindling. The wood is very dense, hard, and attractive in colour, finishes well, and is used for furniture, flooring, and fencing. Large limbs are used in traditional construction and for making tools. The wood is also used as firewood and for charcoal. Flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, favouring bee forage and honey production. Pods are eaten by birds and mammals, and the tree provides shelter and nesting habitat. Bark, fallen pods, and leaf litter shelter invertebrates and provide overwintering sites.

Notes

Also as Mimosaceae. It can be invasive when introduced to new regions.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Algarobo, Guichacho, Narab, Pluma de oro

References (42)

• Anderson, B. A., (Rev.) 1996, Desert Plants of Utah. Utah State University Extension p 55
• Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2:192. 1827
• Astrada, E., et al, 2007, Ethnobotany in the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 3:8
• Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
• BELL & CASTETTER,

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