Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Seedless Chilean Mesquite
Seedless Chilean Mesquite is a shade tree for Valley yards that drops no seed pods. It gives the wide, airy canopy people want from a Chilean mesquite without the summer pod cleanup, so it suits patios, courtyards and walkways. It makes very few flowers, so it puts out far less pollen than a regular Chilean mesquite. It takes full sun and reflected heat and gets by on little water once rooted.
Best for: shade over patios, courtyards and walkways, yards where pod drop is a chore, hot spots with reflected heat, and less mesquite pollen.
With no seed pods, it is a common pick for patios, courtyards, walkways and other paved areas where pod drop is a chore. Plan for a canopy about 20 to 40 feet wide.
It takes full sun and reflected heat off walls and paving. Once rooted, a deep soak about once a month in summer is plenty, and many trees need little beyond rain.
It makes very few flowers, so it puts out much less pollen than a regular Chilean mesquite. Trees are grown from cuttings, so each one matches the parent tree.
Frequent watering grows weak wood and shallow roots, and those trees can blow over in monsoon storms. Its roots spread wide, so keep it back from walls, paving and the pool. It still drops small leaves in winter, and it is not a lawn tree.
- Trees in a row or group20 ft apart
- Single shade tree20 ft or more from other trees
Water deep and regular through the first year so it roots in. After that, taper off to a deep soak about once a month in summer, at the edge of the canopy. Frequent watering grows fast, weak wood and shallow roots, and those trees are the ones that fail in monsoon winds.
Young Chilean mesquites grow fast with crossing branches and several leaders. Train them early to one strong trunk with well-spaced main branches. On older trees, thin and raise the canopy and take off suckers.
Prune from late fall through winter, when the tree is resting, and finish well before monsoon season.
It needs little feeding in desert soil that drains well. At most, give it a light feeding when spring growth starts.
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.
Does Seedless Chilean Mesquite drop seed pods?
No, or close to none. It is sold as a seedless tree, so there is no summer pod drop to rake up. A regular Chilean mesquite drops long pods around July.
Seedless vs regular Chilean mesquite, what is the difference?
The seedless tree makes no pods, puts out far less pollen and is sold as thornless or close to it. It grows at a moderate pace, while a regular Chilean mesquite grows fast. See our Chilean Mesquite page to compare.
How big does Seedless Chilean Mesquite get?
Plan for about 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide, with a wide, dome-shaped canopy. Some seedless trees are listed a little smaller, at about 25 to 30 feet tall and wide.
How fast does Seedless Chilean Mesquite grow?
It grows at a moderate pace, a bit slower than a regular Chilean mesquite. Steady, deep watering gives good growth with strong wood. Pushing it with frequent water grows weak wood.
Does Seedless Chilean Mesquite have thorns?
The seedless mesquites sold in Arizona are sold as thornless or close to it. Some trees can show small spines at a few leaf bases. A regular Chilean mesquite can carry thorns up to about 3 inches.
Is it better for allergies than a regular mesquite?
It makes very few flowers, so it puts out much less pollen than a regular Chilean mesquite. It can still show a few flower spikes in spring. The leaves can irritate skin for some people, so wear sleeves and gloves when pruning.
How often should I water Seedless Chilean Mesquite?
Water deep and regular through the first year. After that, a deep soak about once a month in summer is plenty, and many trees need little beyond rain. Water at the edge of the canopy, not the trunk.
How do I keep it from blowing over in a monsoon?
Chilean mesquites are among the trees most often blown over in Valley monsoons, usually after frequent watering grows weak wood and shallow roots. Water deep and not often, and thin the canopy in the cool months. Stake a new tree only if it cannot stand on its own, and take the stakes off after about a year.
Can I plant it near a pool?
It drops no pods, which is a big reason people plant it near patios. It still sheds small leaves in winter, and its roots spread wide and shallow, often past the canopy. Give it plenty of room from the pool, pool pump, walls and paving.
How should I prune Seedless Chilean Mesquite?
Train it young to one strong trunk with well-spaced main branches. Prune in the cool months, from late fall through winter, and finish before monsoon season. On older trees, thin and raise the canopy to cut wind load.
How cold hardy is it, and does it lose its leaves?
It is hardy to about 15°F, which covers a normal Valley winter. In winter it drops most of its leaves but rarely all, and new leaves come in spring.
Is Seedless Chilean Mesquite allowed by HOAs?
Chilean mesquite is on many Valley HOA plant lists, and at least one large West Valley community lists seedless mesquite by name. A few communities allow only native mesquites, or keep Chilean mesquite away from walkways. Lists vary, so confirm with your HOA.
Seedless Chilean Mesquite for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Seedless Chilean Mesquite gives the wide, airy shade of a Chilean mesquite without the summer seed pods. It handles Valley heat and reflected sun on little water once rooted. Below is what to expect, from size and water to pollen, thorns, wind and how it compares with our 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.
What is a seedless Chilean mesquite?
It is a Chilean mesquite type sold as seedless, so it makes no seed pods. Trees are grown from cuttings, not seed, so each one matches the parent tree. It is sold as thornless or close to it.
Seedless mesquite vs regular Chilean mesquite
The seedless tree skips the summer pod drop and makes very few flowers, so it sheds far less pollen. It grows at a moderate pace and is listed a little smaller, while a regular Chilean mesquite grows fast to about 30 to 40 feet.
Do seedless mesquite trees drop pods?
No, or close to none. That is the main reason people choose it for patios, courtyards, walkways and other paved areas. It still drops small leaves in winter, like other mesquites.
How big does a seedless mesquite get in Arizona?
Plan for about 25 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide, with a wide, dome-shaped canopy. Space trees in a group about 20 feet apart.
How often to water a seedless mesquite in Phoenix
Water it deep and regular for the first year, then about once a month in summer once it is rooted. Water at the edge of the canopy so roots grow down and out. It is not a lawn tree, since frequent watering grows weak wood.
Keeping a mesquite standing in monsoon winds
Overwatered mesquites put on fast top growth with weak wood and shallow roots, and those trees are the ones that blow over. Deep, spaced-out watering, training when young and thinning the canopy all help. Stake a new tree only if it needs it, and remove the stakes after about a year.
Seedless mesquite and pollen
It makes very few flowers, so it puts out much less pollen than a regular Chilean mesquite. A few flower spikes can still show up in spring.
How it compares with our other mesquites
The other mesquites we carry, thornless ones included, drop pods in summer. Native velvet mesquite drops all its leaves in winter, grows deep roots and rarely blows over once established.
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.