Plant Name:  Honey Mesquite Tree

Botanical Name:  Prosopsis glandulosaNative/Indigenous Name:  Ily

Origin:  This tree is native to deserts in the Southwest, California, Mexico and South America.  It is also known as one of the plants used for food and building materials for the Cahuillan Indian people.

Height/Physical Description:  Deciduous tree that grows 30 feet high and wide, has bright green leaflets with a “drooping habit” with the look of a California Pepper Tree.  Spikes of yellow flowers in Spring and Summer that are followed by flat, beanlike 2 to 6-inch pods.

Use by the Cahuillan People:  Food, building materials.   Every part of the tree was useful to Cahuillan tribes.

Planting Requirements:  Grows in all soils.  Plant in Fall or early Spring for best results in getting established.

Watering:  New trees require regular water until established.  Once established, little to moderate water.

Fertilizing:  Compost away from base of tree.

Pruning:  Prune dead and cross branches after leaves have dropped.

Harvesting:  One of the most important food plants for the Cahuilla was the mesquite tree.  It played a very important role in the life of a Desert Cahuilla.  Not only did the mesquite bean, “menyikish,” provide a very nutritious food source, but the tree itself provided valuable construction material and a habitat that attracted game animals like rabbits.  Mesquite trees produce edible blossoms in June and seed pods in July and August.  

Native Preparation:  The blossoms were roasted and eaten, or sun dried and placed in water to produce a refreshing beverage.  The pods could either be eaten fresh or mashed and mixed with water to make a creamy fresh juice especially enjoyed by Cahuilla children.  This drink was referred to as “menyikish pishpakhatem.”

Additional Information:  Sunset zones 10-13 and 18-24