Mesquite trees are such a nuisance around here. They definitely pop up out of nowhere and will take over a field in no time and apparently they suck up a lot of water, not to mention they have nasty thorns, but they also have a few good qualities.
We all know that mesquite wood can be used for smoking meats. It’s a bit strong for my preference. Mesquite trees make beans and the beans are sweet to chew on, and once they’ve dried, they can be ground into flour. Cows, goats, mules, and critters such as that .. probably chickens too, love mesquite beans.
We have one big old mesquite tree by the house and a few more out in the woods but since we’ve been here, the mesquites have not bloomed nor have they produced beans, which come after the blooms. I’m always looking at mesquite trees we pass and checking for beans and I haven’t seen any beans in the past several years.
Mesquite
Over the weekend, I happened to look up and the mesquite tree is full of blooms!
Mesquite Blooms
We’re going to have mesquite beans this year! That makes me happy!
Mary says
Just, what will you do with them? Feed them to the chickens?
Sherrill says
Wonder if it’s kinda like oak trees and acorns. One year we had several times more acorns than we’d ever had and I learned that was a ‘mast’ year (or something like that) when they produce a WAAYY overabundance of acorns. Guess the squirrels were happy.
Joyce says
Is it because of all the rain this year that they bloomed? Maybe they have been stressed from the lack of water.
Rebecca in SoCal says
That’s exactly what I thought (especially since you mentioned the way they suck up water).
Charlotte Hall says
Judy, have you ever had mesquite bean jelly? To me it has a little bit of a cinnamon taste.