Plant Name:  Honey Mesquite Tree

Botanical Name:  Prosopsis glandulosa

Native Name:  Ily

Height/Physical Description:  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:  Food, building materials.   Every part of the tree was useful.

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.  

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.”