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Summary
Native to Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean, Prosopis juliflora or Mesquite is a deciduous, shrub or tree growing up to 12 m in height and 1.2 m in trunk diameter. It has a large crown that is flat-topped with open canopy. The leaves are bipinnate, light green, compounded with 12 to 20 leaflets. The flowers occur in clusters of two to five. It is an invasive species but it is still used for forage, environmental management, medicine, and food. It is used to increase lactation, increase weight in children, and in preparing medicinal syrups. The seed pods are eaten raw, roasted, or ground into a powder. The powder is then mixed with water to make a refreshing drink or pudding, or fermented into an alcoholic beverage. The flowers can also be eaten raw, roasted, or made into tea. The trunk produces a gum which is used in making sweets. The bark yields tannin while the wood produces fiber used in paper production. The wood is also used as firewood and for making charcoal.
Physical Characteristics
Prosopis juliflora is an evergreen Tree growing to 10 m (32ft) by 12 m (39ft) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. The flowers are pollinated by Bees.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
UK Hardiness Map
US Hardiness Map
Synonyms
Algarobia juliflora (Swartz.) Benth. ex Heynh. Mimosa juliflora Sw. Mimosa salinarum Vahl Netuma jul
Plant Habitats
Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers Inner bark Root Seed Seedpod
Edible Uses: Drink Gum Sweetener Tea
Seedpods - raw or cooked[301 ]. They can be roasted, chewed or ground into a powder[301 ]. A rich, delicious flour can be made from pulverized pods from which seeds have been removed[303 ]. The powder can be mixed with water to make a refreshing drink, which can be drunk immediately, made into a pudding or allowed to ferment into a sort of beer[301 ]. Mature seeds can be soaked overnight and then baked like kidney beans[301 ]. Cotyledons and embryos when pulverized yield a flour rich in protein and sugar appropriate for diabetic people[303 ]. Flowers - raw. A sweet flavour[301 ]. They can also be roasted or made into a tea[301 ]. A sweet gum exudes from the trunk[301 ]. It is used in making sweets[301 ]. The wood is used as a flavouring to smoke foods[301 ].
References More on Edible Uses
Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Expectorant Miscellany Skin
A syrup prepared from the ground up pods has various medicinal values. It is given to children showing weight deficiency or retardation in motor development[303 ]. It is believed to increase lactation[303 ]. It is also used for preparing various medicinal syrups, particularly for expectorants[303 ]. A tea made from P. juliflora is thought to be good for digestive disturbances and skin lesions[303 ].
References More on Medicinal Uses
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Other Uses
Adhesive Charcoal Dye Fencing Fibre Furniture Gum Miscellany Paper Resin Shelterbelt Soil reclamation Soil stabilization Tannin Wood
Agroforestry Uses: Plants can be used for erosion control, to stabilize dunes, in shelterbelts and windbreaks, and as living fences in arid and semi-arid climates[200 , 303 ]. Mesquite is widely planted for land reclamation because it is an aggressive colonizer, tolerant of very poor, degraded, saline and alkaline soils. Aerial seeding of a mixture of P. juliflora, Nicotania glauca and several Eucalyptus species is used to revegetate abandoned copper mines[303 ]. Other Uses The heartwood contains significant amounts of extractable polyphenolic compounds from which can be isolated a unique flavinol compound used in the formation of new phenol-formaldehyde polymeric resins[303 ]. A reddish-amber gum, similar in properties to the gum arabic produced by Acacia senegal, often exudes from the stem and older branches[303 ]. It forms an adhesive mucilage[46 ]. Tannin or dyestuff can be extracted from the wood and bark, but the yield is only about 10%[303 ]. Tannin could also be extracted as a by-product when the wood is processed for other purposes[303 ].. There is a large potential for the wood as a source for fibre in the production of paper, paperboard and hardboard[303 ]. The heartwood is dark brown to red or yellowish; the thin band of sapwood light yellow. The wood is close grained, moderately hard, heavy, tough, strong and durable in the soil, though susceptible to the attacks of drywood termites. Seasoned wood is used for rail ties, fence posts, furniture, crafts and corrals. It is rarely used in construction, as most tree trunks are not long or straight enough[46 , 303 , 325 , 447 ]. The generally crooked stems and branches make good firewood and provide excellent charcoal[303 , 325 ]. The charcoal is used extensively in the USA as barbecue fuel[303 ].
Special Uses
Coppice Food Forest Nitrogen Fixer
References More on Other Uses
Cultivation details
A plant for the drier areas of the tropics and subtropics, succeeding from sea level up to elevations of 1,500 metres[303 ]. It can be grown in areas where the mean annual temperature ranges from 14 - 34°c, with an absolute maximum of almost 50°c; and where the annual precipitation is as low as 50mm or up to 1,200mm[303 , 325 ]. Adapted to many soil types from acid to alkaline and including strongly saline and severely depleted soils[303 ]. Requires a position in full sun in a light, well-drained soil[200 ]. Plants have very long taproots and, once established, are extremely drought resistant[200 ]. They can also tolerate seasonal waterlogging[303 ]. Mesquite is sometimes said to dry out the soil and compete with grasses, particularly in dry areas[303 ]. Plants can begin flowering when 3 - 4 years old, often flowering twice a year and producing seed prolifically[303 ]. Hence in some areas, especially the more humid ones, it can spread freely and is considered a weed[303 ]. A fast-growing species[381 ]. The plant coppices readily[303 ]. The plant produces fragrant, nectar-rich flowers from which bees produce a fine-flavoured clear honey[200 ]. 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[755 ]. Total nitrogen, sulphur and soluble salts, as well as organic matter, have been shown to increase 3-fold in the upper 4.5 metres of soil under P. Juliflora[303 ]. Flowering Time: Mid Summer Late Summer/Early Fall. Bloom Color: Pale Yellow.
References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information
Temperature Converter
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Plant Propagation
Seed - they can be stored for several years at ambient temperatures[325 ]. The seed has a very hard seedcoat and could take several years to germinate without pre-treatment to allow moisture to be absorbed. There are various ways of doing this - carefully making a small nick in the seedcoat, being careful not to damage the seed is very effective on a small scale. On a larger scale, soaking the seed in nearly boiling water for a few minutes (being careful not to cook the seeds) and then for another 24 hours in warm water is a common method[325 ]. Sow the seed in a sunny position in a nursery seedbed or individual pots. Germination of treated seed is usually fast, with 80 - 90% of the seeds sprouting within 4 - 6 days[303 , 325 ]. Aerial seeding is applied successfully to quickly cover remote, extensive and poorly accessible areas[303 ]. Inoculation with Rhizobium and mycorrhizal fungi is advantageous[303 ] Root cuttings. Grafting.
Other Names
If available other names are mentioned here
Algaroba, Asuaja, Eterai, Guaranga, Jangalee, Meskeet, Mesquite, Nisache, Screw bean, Woyane zaf, Woyane, albarobo, algarobeira, algarobia, algarroba, algarroba-bean, algarrobo, angrezi babul, bayarone, cují negro, honey mesquite, ironwood, kabulikikar, mesquite, mesquite bean, mesquitebaum, nisache, prosópis, screw bean, vilayata khejra, vilayata kikar.
Native Range
NORTHERN AMERICA: Mexico, Sinaloa, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán de Ocampo, Nayarit, Oaxaca, SOUTHERN AMERICA: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador (incl. Galapagos), Peru (north),
Weed Potential
Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section.
Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed
Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.
Expert comment
Author
(Sw.) DC.
Botanical References
Links / References
For a list of references used on this page please go here
A special thanks to Ken Fern for some of the information used on this page.
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Subject : Prosopis juliflora
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