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Prosopis velutina
Also called Velvet mesquite
Velvet mesquite is a small to medium desert tree native to the Sonoran, Mojave and Chihuahuan Deserts, widely planted in xeriscapes. Its key to growing is full sun, very little water once established, and well-drained desert soil.
Neltuma velutina (formerly Prosopis velutina), commonly known as velvet mesquite, is a small to medium-sized tree. It is a legume adapted to a dry, desert climate. Though considered to be a noxious weed in states outside its natural range, it plays a vital role in the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.
The velvet mesquite is native to the Sonoran, Mojave, and Chihuahuan Deserts. It grows at elevations below 4,000 to 5,000 feet (1,200 to 1,500 m) in desert grasslands and near washes. The main distribution is in central and southern Arizona and in adjacent Sonora, Mexico. Near waterways, mesquites can form deciduous woodlands called bosques.
Velvet mesquite is a common choice for residential and commercial xeriscaping in Tucson and Phoenix, cities which are inside its natural range. An established mesquite tree needs little or no watering, and is an attractive ornamental plant.
Algarrobo Blanco · Mesquite · Smooth Mesquite · Jand · Syrian mesquite · Neltuma glandulosa · Prosopis koelziana · Neltuma kuntzei · Neltuma nigra · Neltuma pallida · Strombocarpa pubescens · Strombocarpa strombulifera
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Neltuma velutina by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
