Honey Mesquite (Neltuma glandulosa) - Seeds - Coveted BBQ Wood and Mesquite Honey

Honey Mesquite, formerly known by its botanical name Prosopis glandulosa, is an extremely robust and fascinating desert tree primarily native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. This tree gained worldwide recognition mainly for its hard, aromatic wood, which provides unparalleled smoky flavors as legendary BBQ wood, as well as for being an outstanding nectar source for the highly prized, sweet Mesquite honey. With its light, fern-like foliage, the tree casts pleasant shade and develops the aforementioned sweet-scented flower clusters in spring and summer, which later develop into distinctive seed pods. As a deeply rooted ornamental tree, it is extremely drought-tolerant and, as a legume, actively enriches the soil with nitrogen.

Scope of delivery: 10 seeds each

Originally, this extremely drought-resistant tree comes from the barren desert and steppe regions of the southwestern USA and northern Mexico. Neltuma glandulosa typically grows as a multi-stemmed large shrub or small to medium-sized tree with a wide, loose, and often umbrella-shaped crown. In its natural habitats, it reaches heights of 6 to 9 meters. In our latitudes, and especially in container cultivation, it remains significantly smaller and more compact. Characteristic of the Honey Mesquite are its sometimes thorny branches and the extremely deep taproot system, with which it perfectly adapts to the driest climatic conditions.

The use of this desert tree is traditionally as well as modernly enormously versatile. The hard, reddish wood burns very hot, imparts a unique aroma to food and is legendary worldwide as Mesquite wood for BBQ and smoking. It is also highly valued for high-quality furniture and turning work. The protein-rich, sweet pods are edible and were historically often processed into a nutritious flour. Furthermore, the tree is not only a valuable shade provider, but also a natural soil improver as a legume, binding nitrogen in the soil. During flowering, it is an outstanding bee pasture and provides the basis for the coveted, light Mesquite honey.

For our latitudes, container cultivation is the safest and most recommendable method for this desert tree. For this purpose, you must choose a very deep planter, as the tree forms its pronounced taproot. An extremely well-draining, structurally stable substrate is recommended as soil. A mixture with a high proportion of mineral additives such as lava, pumice, zeolite, and sand is ideal here to strictly avoid waterlogging. Since the roots in the pot are more susceptible to cold, you should move the plant to a bright, frost-free place at about 5 to 10 degrees Celsius in winter and reduce watering to an absolute minimum during the dormant phase. In late winter or early spring, the crown can then be easily brought into shape by moderate pruning if necessary.