Jun 28, 2018
Mesquite trees
Credit: Linda & Dr. Dick Buscher
Although not as showy as the bloom of the palo verde tree, the mesquite trees of the Sonoran Desert add to the springtime bloom. Shown here are the flowers of a velvet mesquite tree, Prosopis velutina. All three of the indigenous trees are members of the legume family (Fabaceae) as they all produce a large nutritious seed pod. Mesquite beans are known to remain viable for years and were once gathered and used as a major source of food for the region's draft animals. Mesquite leaves and bark were used for medicinal purposes by native people and early settlers.
(via Photos: The Sonoran Desert in Bloom)
