Growing Shade! Chilean Thornless Mesquite Tree

We had a large open space on our de Anza lot facing the golf course - the perfect place for a shade tree.  After researching, we decided to purchase a six-foot thornless Chilean Mesquite from Torres Desert Nursery.  The nursery owner, Lupe (husband of Patty), delivered the tree and helped us plant it correctly and set up the necessary irrigation.  We could have purchased a larger tree, but it's going to be fun watching this little one grow. 




 


Uniquely Borrego Springs:  We stopped by the nursery and purchased the tree on a Friday.  Lupe arrived with the tree on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m.  By 9:00 a.m., tree was in, perfectly set and staked, and so was a new sprinkler line to the tree.  WOW!  Very different than how things work in a big city.

The thornless hybrid mesquite is nearly the perfect tree for the desert. Exceptionally well-adapted to our area, these trees love full sun (not a problem in Borrego) and are fast growing.  They are easy to recognize by their rich, dark brown trunks and beautiful green canopies.   The thornless hybrid mesquites were introduced in the late 1950's, most sold as "Chilean mesquite," "thornless mesquite" or Prosopis Chilensis. 

At maturity our tree may be 30 feet tall, which we considered before planting.  Sadly, we saw a mature mesquite near the tennis facility at La Casa Del Zorro being cut down when we visited the hotel recently.  The healthy tree had spread too close to the tennis courts and was a little too messy BUT ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!  

Selective pruning during the first two or three years (up to 20% of the canopy) will strengthen the tree's root system and help shape the little bugger. 

Summer:  An abundance of lacy, fern-like compound leaves that provide welcome filtered shade under the tree.

Winter:  Tree becomes semi-deciduous but should still retain a good portion of its leaves (unless there is an unusually cold spell).


Spring:  Old leaves are shed and replaced by new leaves. In late spring, yellow-green inconspicuous flowers form, which later turn into curled tan seedpods.

Thornless Chilean Mesquite Planted July, 2013