Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Texas Honey Mesquite
Texas Honey Mesquite is a fast-growing desert shade tree with drooping, willow-like branches and fine, bright green leaves. It grows into a wide tree about 30 feet tall and wide, giving light, filtered shade. It takes full sun and reflected heat, and needs very little water once rooted. Pale yellow flower spikes in spring draw native bees.
Best for: light shade over a big desert yard, hot spots with full sun and reflected heat, low-water and native-style landscapes, and bees and birds.
It grows fast into a wide tree about 30 feet tall and wide, with drooping, willow-like branches. The fine leaves give light, filtered shade. It needs plenty of room to spread, so give it at least 20 feet.
It takes full sun and reflected heat off walls and paving. Once rooted it needs very little water, and it does fine in clay, loam or sandy soil as long as it drains.
Pale yellow flower spikes in spring draw native bees and other pollinators. Birds and wildlife use the tree for seed and shelter, and the pods are edible.
Frequent watering grows fast, weak wood, and those trees break or blow over in monsoon storms. It is not a lawn tree. It has sharp thorns and drops pods in summer, so keep it back from walkways.
- Trees in a groupAbout 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. Once rooted, a deep soak at the canopy edge about once a month in summer is plenty, and less in winter.
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 it young to one strong trunk with well-spaced main 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.
Drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
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 Texas Honey Mesquite get?
It usually grows about 20 to 35 feet tall, and it can grow wider than it is tall, up to about 40 feet. It has a wide crown with drooping branches, so give it room to spread.
How fast does Texas Honey Mesquite grow?
It grows fast, and quicker with more water, but frequent watering grows weak wood. Deep, spaced-out watering gives steady growth on a stronger tree.
How often should I water Texas Honey Mesquite?
Water deep and regular through the first year. After that, a deep soak every 3 to 4 weeks in summer is plenty, and many trees need little beyond rain. Water 2 to 3 feet deep at the edge of the canopy, not the trunk.
Can I plant a mesquite in my lawn?
It is not a lawn tree. Lawn watering is frequent and shallow, which grows weak wood and shallow roots. Keep it where you can water it deep and not often.
Why do mesquite trees blow over in monsoon storms?
Overwatered mesquites grow fast, weak wood on shallow roots, and a thick canopy catches wind like a sail. Deep, infrequent watering, training when young and thinning the canopy all help it stand.
Does Texas Honey Mesquite have thorns?
Yes. It has sharp thorns in pairs at the leaf bases, often 1 to 2 inches long. Young growth tends to be the thorniest. If thorns are a concern, see our Thornless Texas Honey Mesquite.
How should I prune Texas Honey Mesquite?
Train it young to one strong trunk with well-spaced main branches. Prune in the cool months, from late fall into March, and finish before monsoon. On older trees, raise the canopy and remove suckers.
Are the pods messy, and are they edible?
The long, tan pods drop in summer, around August, so plan on some seasonal raking. The pods are also edible if you want to gather them.
How cold hardy is Texas Honey Mesquite?
It is hardy to about 0°F, far colder than a Valley winter. It drops all its leaves in winter and leafs out again in early spring.
Texas Honey Mesquite vs Chilean Mesquite?
Texas Honey is more cold hardy, to about 0°F versus about 15 to 20°F, and drops all its leaves in winter. Chilean keeps some leaves and is the tree most often blown over in monsoon storms.
What is the clumpy growth in my mesquite?
Usually desert mistletoe, spread by birds. It is easiest to spot in winter on bare branches. Cut infected branches at least a foot below where it attaches, since brushing it off lets it grow back.
Can mesquite leaves irritate skin?
Some people react to the foliage. Wear long sleeves and gloves when pruning if you are sensitive.
Texas Honey Mesquite for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Texas Honey Mesquite is a fast desert shade tree with a wide, drooping canopy and fine, bright green leaves. It handles Valley sun and reflected heat on very little water once rooted. Below is what to expect, from size and watering to pruning, pods, thorns 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.
How big does Texas Honey Mesquite get in Arizona?
Plan for about 20 to 35 feet tall and up to about 40 feet wide. It has a wide crown with drooping, willow-like branches. Space trees about 20 feet apart and give a single tree plenty of room to spread.
How often do you water a mesquite tree in Phoenix?
Water it deeply and regularly for the first year. Once rooted, soak it 2 to 3 feet deep at the edge of the canopy every 3 to 4 weeks in summer, or less. Light, frequent watering keeps roots shallow and grows weak wood.
Why do mesquite trees fall over in monsoon storms?
Overwatered mesquites put on fast, weak wood with shallow roots, and a thick canopy acts like a sail in monsoon wind. Deep, infrequent watering and good pruning when young help the tree stand.
When should you prune a mesquite tree in Arizona?
Prune in the cool months, from late fall into March, while the tree is resting, and finish before monsoon season. Thinning the canopy lets wind pass through and cuts storm damage.
Texas Honey Mesquite vs Native Mesquite
Both drop all their leaves in winter and are hardy to about 0 to 5°F. Texas Honey has drooping branches and bright green leaves. Native velvet mesquite has soft, gray-green leaves.
Texas Honey Mesquite vs Chilean Mesquite
Texas Honey handles colder winters and drops all its leaves. Chilean keeps some leaves, is hardy only to about 15 to 20°F, and is the tree most often blown over in monsoon storms.
Texas Honey Mesquite flowers, bees and pods
Pale yellow flower spikes open in spring and draw native bees and other pollinators. Long, tan pods follow and drop in summer. The pods are edible, and birds and wildlife use the tree for seed and shelter.
Mistletoe in mesquite trees
Desert mistletoe is common on mesquite and is spread by birds. It weakens the tree over time. Cut infected branches at least a foot below where it attaches.
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.