Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chilean Fuente Mesquite
Chilean Fuente Mesquite is a selection of Chilean mesquite, grown for fast shade over a big desert yard. Chilean mesquite forms a broad umbrella of fine, deep green leaves about 30 to 40 feet across. It handles full sun and reflected heat, and once rooted it lives on occasional deep watering. Pale yellow flower spikes bring bees in spring.
Best for: quick shade across a large yard or lot, sunny spots with heat bouncing off walls and paving, desert landscapes on little water, and spring bees.
Chilean mesquite grows fast into a broad, umbrella-shaped tree about 30 to 40 feet tall and wide. Plant trees in a group about 20 feet apart, or give one tree 30 to 40 feet of open space.
It handles full sun and heat reflected off walls, driveways and paving. Once rooted it gets by on little water, in desert soil that drains well, alkaline or not.
Chilean mesquite is planted in parks, large commercial lots and street and parking medians. Pale yellow flower spikes in spring draw native bees and other pollinators.
Frequent watering grows fast, weak wood on shallow roots, and those trees are the ones that go over in monsoon storms. Its roots can lift paving. It is not a lawn tree, and pods drop in early summer.
- Group plantingAbout 20 ft apart
A new tree needs water every 1 to 2 days in summer for its first two weeks, or every 3 to 4 days when it is cool. Stretch that to about weekly by the second month, and keep watering deeply and regularly for about 3 years. After that, a deep soak out at the canopy edge about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter is plenty.
Remove the nursery stake when you plant. If the tree leans or the spot is windy, set two stakes outside the root ball, with soft, wide ties that leave a little room to sway. Take the stakes out after about a year. Mesquites grow top-heavy, so many need stakes the first year.
Stake and train it young to a straight trunk with well-spaced branches. On older trees, raise the canopy and remove suckers and water sprouts. Keep it to no more than a quarter of the canopy a year, and never thin out the middle so only branch tips are left. Finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Regular heavy watering grows soft, fast wood that snaps or uproots in monsoon winds. Shallow, frequent watering keeps roots near the surface. Deep, spaced-out soaks grow a stronger tree.
Leafy clumps in the branches are usually desert mistletoe, spread by birds. Winter is the easiest time to see it. Cut the branch at least a foot below the clump. Heavy mistletoe weakens the tree over time.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is Chilean Fuente Mesquite?
It is a selection of Chilean mesquite, a fast South American shade tree with a broad umbrella canopy and fine, deep green leaves. Plant it where you want quick shade over a big yard.
How big does it get?
Chilean mesquite reaches about 30 to 40 feet tall and just as wide. With lots of water it can grow even bigger, so pick a spot with open room.
How often do I water a Chilean mesquite once it's in?
Water it deeply and regularly the first year. After that, give it a deep soak at the edge of the canopy about once a month in summer, and many rooted trees need little beyond rain.
Why do so many Chilean mesquites fall over in monsoons?
Chilean mesquite is the tree most often blown over in Valley monsoons. Heavy watering grows fast top growth, weak wood and shallow roots. Spaced-out deep watering and early training help it stay up.
Can I plant it in my lawn?
It is not a lawn tree. Lawn watering is frequent, and frequent watering grows weak wood and shallow roots in Chilean mesquite.
Can the roots lift my sidewalk?
Yes, they can, because Chilean mesquite often grows shallow, spreading roots that heave sidewalks and paving. Plant it well away from walls, driveways and irrigation lines.
When should I prune it?
From late fall through winter, and finish before monsoon season. Train young trees to one strong trunk. On older trees, thin and raise the canopy so wind passes through.
Does Chilean mesquite lose its leaves?
It sheds most of its leaves and rests from about December to April, but keeps some through winter. New growth comes in late March or April.
Does it drop pods?
Yes. Long, light brown pods ripen in early summer and drop around July. Plan for a summer cleanup under the canopy.
Does it have thorns?
Thorns vary a lot on Chilean mesquite, from none to about 3 inches, and mesquites cross easily. Young growth tends to be the thorniest, so wear gloves when you prune and keep it back from walks.
How cold can it take?
It takes about 15 to 20°F, which covers a normal Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover. Colder snaps can damage it, and you can prune out dead wood in late winter.
Chilean Fuente vs native mesquite?
Chilean mesquite grows faster and keeps some winter leaves. Native velvet mesquite drops all its leaves, roots deep, rarely blows over once rooted, and can live on rain.
Chilean Fuente Mesquite for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chilean Fuente Mesquite is a selection of Chilean mesquite, the fast South American shade tree with a broad umbrella canopy. It grows quickly in Valley sun and reflected heat on little water once rooted. Below are the questions people ask most, from size and watering to monsoon care, pruning, winter leaves, pods and thorns.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is a Chilean Fuente Mesquite?
Chilean Fuente is a selection of Chilean mesquite, the fast South American shade tree with a broad umbrella canopy. It is grown for quick shade in big desert yards.
How big does a Chilean mesquite get in Arizona?
It grows about 30 to 40 feet tall and wide. Trees in a group go about 20 feet apart, and a single tree needs 30 to 40 feet of open space. Heavy watering makes them bigger.
Watering a Chilean mesquite in Phoenix
Water deep and regular the first year. Then switch to a deep soak about once a month in summer, at the edge of the canopy. Frequent watering grows weak wood, and it is not a lawn tree.
Keeping a mesquite standing through monsoon season
Water deep and not often so roots grow down. Train young trees to one trunk. Thin and raise older canopies in the cool months, and finish before monsoon.
Chilean mesquite roots and paving
Chilean mesquite often grows shallow, spreading roots that can lift sidewalks. Keep it well back from walls, driveways and irrigation lines, and water deep so roots head down.
Chilean mesquite in winter
It keeps some leaves and sheds most, resting from about December to April. New leaves come in late March or April, later than native mesquites. It is hardy to about 15 to 20°F.
Chilean mesquite, Argentine mesquite and crosses
Mesquites cross easily, and many Chilean mesquites sold in the Valley are crosses with Argentine mesquite. Thorns and form vary from tree to tree.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.