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Big City, Big Trees
6. Steinhardt Conservatory: Desert Pavilion
Mesquite Tree (Prosopis glandulosa)
| Native Habitat: | Southwestern U.S., Mexico |
Photo: Medi Blum.
The mesquite tree reigns in the Southwest from west Texas to the deserts of California. Barbecue chefs swear by mesquite wood for smoking meat, and bees home in on the tree's nectar-rich yellow flowers. A member of the legume family (Fabaceae), mesquite produces large bean pods, which southwestern tribes used to make mush, pancakes, and bread. They also used the tree's sharp thorns for tattooing.
Notable Neighbors:
- 6A. Dawn redwood grove (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)
- 6B. White willow (Salix alba 'Tristis')
- 6C. Yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava)
Inside the Conservatory:
- Akee Tree (Blighia sapida)
- Dragonsblood Tree (Pterocarpus officinalis)
- Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
- Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla)
- Mesquite Tree (Prosopis glandulosa)