The Texas Honey Mesquite

The Kidneywood is an underused tree for desert landscaping, and is worth looking for. A native tree and sometimes shrub, it is found in our desert mountains. The Kidneywood is a small tree, only reaching about 10 to 12 feet tall and wide. It has vanilla scented flowers in the summer. The Sweet Acacia is another worthy tree for desert landscaping. This is a smaller tree relative to the Honey and Velvet Mesquites, reaching about 20 feet tall and wide. The yellow puff-ball flowers appear in late winter, and fill the air with the sweet smell of honey. This tree is semi-evergreen, but will drop its leaves in very cold winters.View the list »
Our native Velvet Mesquite can’t be improved on. Period. This lovely, drought tolerant and fairly fast growing tree, is ideal in any desert landscaping situation provided there is room for its mature size. It is mostly deciduous, although will keep its leaves up to 9 months. In mild winters it may keep them longer.

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Thanks to Texas, the Tucson and Green Valley areas have a lovely species of mesquite to choose from called the Texas Honey Mesquite. While not just native to Texas, the Texas Honey Mesquite is actually found all over the west, from Kansas down into Mexico.

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This mesquite species has a more weeping form than our native Velvet Mesquite, and the leaves are much brighter green. Another easy way to identify the Honey Mesquite is the leaves are larger, and widely spaced. This tree also produces catkin flowers and pods one would associated with mesquites.

The Honey Mesquite is deciduous, offering light, filtered shade when in leaf. It must have full sun and lots of room for its mature size of 25 feet tall and 30 feet wide. In its natural habitat, this tree tends to be more shrub-like, so if you want a tree you will need to shape it to form. Never top this tree or any other tree for that matter, in attempt to reduce its height. Always plant a shorter species if you want a shorter tree.

Reference: Mountain States Wholesale Nursery and Gregg Starr Nursery Plant Info Sheet, 1999.

View the list
  • Our native Velvet Mesquite can’t be improved on. Period. This lovely, drought tolerant and fairly fast growing tree, is ideal in any desert landscaping situation provided there is room for its mature size. It is mostly deciduous, although will keep its leaves up to 9 months. In mild winters it may keep them longer.
  • The Sweet Acacia is another worthy tree for desert landscaping. This is a smaller tree relative to the Honey and Velvet Mesquites, reaching about 20 feet tall and wide. The yellow puff-ball flowers appear in late winter, and fill the air with the sweet smell of honey. This tree is semi-evergreen, but will drop its leaves in very cold winters.
  • The Kidneywood is an underused tree for desert landscaping, and is worth looking for. A native tree and sometimes shrub, it is found in our desert mountains. The Kidneywood is a small tree, only reaching about 10 to 12 feet tall and wide. It has vanilla scented flowers in the summer. 
View the list

, Tucson Gardening Examiner

This author has lived in Arizona since 1972 and has been gardening for more than 28 years. A landscape architect and certified arborist, Linda teaches classes for everyone in desert plant care for Green Valley Recreation, and provides services in landscape design. Contact her at Linda...

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