Mesquite is a thorny deciduous shrub or small tree up to 30 feet tall.
Flowers are yellowish-green and bloom May to September.
The fruit is a long seedpod that ripens August to September.
The seedpods are an important source of food for deer, livestock, birds, and small mammals.
However, the seeds can be toxic in large quantities as a primary food source.
Native American Indians used the seeds for bread and alcohol.
A black dye can be generated from mesquite for use on pottery; gum from the bark was eaten as candy or dissolved in water for dysentery; also used for wounds or scratchy throat treatment.
Adapted to clay and sandy loam soils throughout most of Texas.
