Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Leslie Roy Mesquite
Leslie Roy Mesquite is an Arizona-bred cross between native velvet mesquite and Chilean mesquite, and it has no thorns. It grows into a medium shade tree about 25 to 30 feet tall and wide, with upright branches and fern-like leaves. The light, dappled shade lets smaller plants grow underneath, and it keeps many of its leaves in winter. It handles heat and cold down to about 10°F.
Best for: thorn-free shade on a typical home lot, dappled shade with plants growing underneath, more cold hardiness than Chilean mesquite, and low-water desert yards.
It grows about 25 to 30 feet tall and wide, a size that fits typical city and suburban lots. It has no thorns, unlike native velvet mesquite.
The fine, fern-like leaves cast light, dappled shade, so smaller plants can grow under the canopy. Its branches grow upright, and it usually forms several trunks.
It takes desert heat and cold down to about 10°F, colder than Chilean mesquite handles. Once rooted it needs only deep watering now and then, in any native soil that drains well.
Frequent, shallow watering grows weak wood and shallow roots, and overwatered mesquites can go over in monsoon storms. Keep it out of the lawn and water it deep and not often.
- Trees in a group20 ft or more 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.
Train a young tree to one strong trunk or a few well-spaced ones. 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 a Leslie Roy Mesquite?
It is a cross between native velvet mesquite and Chilean mesquite, bred in Tucson. It was selected from 300 seedlings. It is thornless, keeps many leaves in winter and grows upright.
Does Leslie Roy Mesquite have thorns?
No. It is a thornless tree. Native velvet mesquite, one of its parents, has thorns.
How big does Leslie Roy Mesquite get?
About 25 to 30 feet tall and about as wide. That is smaller than Chilean mesquite, which often reaches 30 to 40 feet.
How fast does it grow?
It grows fast, often several feet a year. Heavy watering speeds it up but grows weaker wood, so water deep and not often.
How often should I water Leslie Roy Mesquite?
Water it deeply and regularly through the first growing season. After that, water deeply but only now and then, since thorough, infrequent watering grows the deep roots that hold the tree up.
Does it lose its leaves in winter?
It keeps many of its leaves through winter, and some leaves drop in winter or spring. Fallen leaves and pods make some seasonal litter, so plan on a little raking.
How cold hardy is Leslie Roy Mesquite?
It handles cold down to about 10°F. That is colder than Chilean mesquite handles, at about 15 to 20°F.
When should I prune it?
Shape it in late winter, around February, before new growth starts. It grows naturally with several trunks and upright branches.
Does it need fertilizer?
No. It does well in native desert soil, sandy or clay, as long as the soil drains well.
When does it bloom?
Cream to white flower spikes open in spring, and they draw bees and other pollinators. Birds use the tree for seed and shelter.
Leslie Roy vs Chilean Mesquite?
Leslie Roy stays smaller at about 25 to 30 feet, has no thorns and handles cold to about 10°F. Chilean mesquite grows larger, about 30 to 40 feet, and is hardy only to about 15 to 20°F.
Can Leslie Roy Mesquite bother allergies or skin?
It can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies, and the leaves can irritate sensitive skin. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you prune.
Leslie Roy Mesquite for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Leslie Roy Mesquite is a thornless cross of native velvet mesquite and Chilean mesquite, bred in Arizona. It stays a manageable 25 to 30 feet and handles heat and cold down to about 10°F. Below is what to expect: size, water, winter leaves, pruning and how it compares with other mesquites.
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.
Is Leslie Roy Mesquite thornless?
Yes. Leslie Roy is a thornless cross of native velvet mesquite and Chilean mesquite. It gives mesquite shade without thorns.
How big does a Leslie Roy Mesquite get in Arizona?
About 25 to 30 feet tall and wide, a manageable size for city and suburban lots. It grows fast, often several feet a year, with upright branches and several trunks.
How to water a Leslie Roy Mesquite
Water deeply and regularly the first growing season. After that, water deeply but only now and then. Thorough, infrequent watering grows deep roots, while frequent shallow watering grows weak wood.
Is Leslie Roy Mesquite evergreen?
It is partly evergreen, keeping many of its leaves through winter, and some drop in winter or spring. It handles cold down to about 10°F.
Leslie Roy Mesquite vs Chilean Mesquite
Leslie Roy is smaller, thornless and hardy to about 10°F. Chilean mesquite grows to about 30 to 40 feet and is hardy only to about 15 to 20°F.
Leslie Roy Mesquite shade and plants underneath
The fine, fern-like leaves cast dappled shade. That lets smaller plants grow under the canopy, unlike a dense shade tree.
When to prune Leslie Roy Mesquite
Shape it in late winter, around February, before new growth starts. Mesquite pruning is best finished well before monsoon season.
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