Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora)

Family: Fabaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

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.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Roots/Tubers, Flowers, Bark/Inner Bark

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

rich, delicious flour can be made from pulverized pods from which seeds have been removed. — Seedpods - raw or cooked.; They can be roasted, chewed or ground into a powder.; A rich, delicious flour can be made from pulverized pods from which seeds have been removed.; 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.

Habitat & North American Range

Light, sandy or gravelly soils in arid or semi-arid areas where there is subterranean moisture. Commonly found on over-grazed land. (Zone 7)