Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Screwbean Mesquite
Screwbean Mesquite is a smaller native mesquite, known for its tightly coiled, corkscrew seed pods. It grows into a multi-trunk small tree about 15 to 30 feet tall, with shaggy bark and fine, airy leaves. Fuzzy yellow flower spikes in late spring draw bees, and the tree feeds birds and wildlife. It takes full sun and desert heat.
Best for: a smaller native tree, native and wildlife yards, bees and birds, and spots where a full-size mesquite would be too big.
It grows about 15 to 30 feet tall and wide, smaller than most mesquites. It usually grows with several trunks, like a large shrub or small tree. The light brown bark peels in shaggy strips as it ages.
Fuzzy yellow flower spikes, about 2 to 3 inches long, open in late spring. They are followed by tightly coiled pods that look like little springs.
The flowers feed bees and other insects, and it is a busy spot for pollinators in late spring. The tree gives birds food, shelter and places to nest.
It does not live on rain alone in the low desert, so plan on occasional deep watering. It has small, sharp thorns in pairs. Frequent, shallow watering grows weak wood, like any mesquite.
- Close grove or screenAbout 8 ft apart
- Standard spacing12-20 ft apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly in summer by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep at the canopy edge about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer and about once a month in winter.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year. Mesquites grow top-heavy, so many need stakes the first year.
Shape it slowly while young, to one trunk or a few well-spaced ones. Later, raise the canopy and cut suckers and water sprouts. Never take more than a quarter of the leaves in a year, and do not strip the inside branches bare. Finish any thinning before monsoon season starts in mid-June.
Extra water pushes fast, weak wood that breaks or blows over in monsoon storms. Light, frequent watering also keeps roots shallow. Water deep and less often.
Desert mistletoe is common on mesquite, and birds spread the seeds. It is easiest to spot in winter. Cut infected branches at least a foot below the clump, since brushing it off lets it grow back.
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.
How big does Screwbean Mesquite get?
Usually about 15 to 30 feet tall and about as wide, and often on the smaller end, around 15 to 20 feet. It grows with several trunks unless it is pruned up.
How fast does Screwbean Mesquite grow?
It grows at a moderate pace, slower than the fast mesquites like Chilean or Texas honey mesquite.
Why is it called screwbean?
It is named for its seed pods, which coil tightly into a spiral that looks like a screw or a spring. In Spanish it is called tornillo, which means screw.
Are screwbean mesquite pods edible?
Yes. The pods are edible, and people have long gathered mesquite pods for food.
How much water does Screwbean Mesquite need?
In the wild it grows along desert rivers and streams. In a low desert yard it does not live on rain alone, so give it occasional deep soaks in the hot months. Water at the edge of the canopy, not the trunk.
Is Screwbean Mesquite native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in Arizona and across the Southwest into northern Mexico, mostly along rivers and streams.
Does Screwbean Mesquite have thorns?
Yes. It has small, slender thorns in pairs along the branches, usually under an inch long, so wear gloves when pruning.
When does it bloom, and does it attract bees?
Fuzzy yellow flower spikes open in late spring, about April to June. They draw bees, and the tree also feeds birds and wildlife.
How cold hardy is Screwbean Mesquite?
It is hardy to about 0°F, well below a Valley winter. It drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Screwbean vs Native (velvet) Mesquite?
Both are native, but screwbean stays smaller, often 15 to 20 feet, with coiled pods and shaggy bark. Velvet mesquite gets bigger, and once rooted it can live on rain.
Does it handle salty soil?
Yes, fairly well. In the wild it grows in damp or salty soil along streams, so salty ground is not a problem for it.
What is the green clump in my mesquite?
Usually desert mistletoe, which birds spread to screwbean like other mesquites. Cut the branch at least a foot below where it attaches, since brushing it off lets it grow back.
Screwbean Mesquite for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Screwbean Mesquite is a native desert tree named for its coiled, screw-shaped pods. It stays smaller than most mesquites, grows with several trunks and shaggy bark, and feeds bees, birds and wildlife. Below is what to expect: size, water, flowers, pods, thorns and how it compares with native velvet mesquite.
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What is a screwbean mesquite?
A smaller native mesquite named for its tightly coiled, screw-shaped pods. It grows wild in Arizona and the Southwest, mostly along rivers and streams. It grows with several trunks and shaggy bark.
How big does a screwbean mesquite get?
About 15 to 30 feet tall and about as wide, often only 15 to 20 feet. Space trees 12 to 20 feet apart, or about 8 feet apart for a close grove or screen.
How to water a screwbean mesquite in Phoenix
Water deep and regular the first year. After that, give it occasional deep soaks in the hot months, at the edge of the canopy. It does not live on rain alone in the low desert, but frequent shallow watering grows weak wood.
Screwbean mesquite flowers and pods
Fuzzy yellow flower spikes, 2 to 3 inches long, open in late spring. The coiled pods follow, and they are edible.
Screwbean Mesquite vs Native Mesquite
Screwbean is smaller, with coiled pods, shaggy bark and small paired thorns. Native velvet mesquite grows larger and, once rooted, can live on rain alone. Both drop their leaves in winter.
Screwbean mesquite for wildlife
The flowers feed bees and other insects, so the tree is busy with pollinators in late spring. Birds use it for food, shelter and nesting.
When to prune a screwbean mesquite
Prune in the cool months, from late fall into March, and finish before monsoon. On older trees, raise the canopy and remove suckers. It grows with several trunks by nature.
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