THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Mesquite

Lisa Karen Miller

           Pima Indians called it the Tree of Life. Across the world in Bahrain, there is a 400-year-old specimen that also bears that name. It lives near the highest point in the country, far from any water source.

          The Tohono O’odham of the Sonoran desert dedicated an entire month to mesquite in their lunar calendar: June was “Mesquite Bean Harvest Moon.” The beans (seedpods) were an important food source for many tribes in arid regions, where mesquite still thrive. It’s said that droughts produce the best fruit.

          In fact, the entire tree is useful.  Southwestern peoples used the strong sinuous roots in basket making and as fuel.  The sap made the baskets waterproof; it was also made into candy, used as an adhesive and a hair dye, and even chewed as a gum.

          The mesquite had great healing properties as well. The sap was applied as a protective coating for lesions, while chewed leaves were placed on stings to alleviate pain and swelling. A fungus that grows on the tree was smoked during rituals.

          Supremely drought tolerant, it was an accurate indicator of groundwater.  Many indigenous communities sited wells based on the presence of mesquite trees.

          Potters boiled mesquite sap to make a paint that was applied after firing. The pots were then refired at a lower temperature for a longer time.  The mesquite paint then became an enduring and very deep black.

          In the same botanical family as peas and beans, the seedpods are also legumes and extremely nutritious. The pod can be pounded to make a sweet flour for bread.  Mixed with oil, it makes a tasty type of butter. Roasted, it can be used as a coffee substitute.  For some tribes, it was a more important part of their diet than even maize.               

          Well known for smoking meat, it was first used for this purpose because of its abundance in places where other wood was scarce.  It was also useful for fuel for the same reason.

          In 1871, a single Texas county gathered 12,000 pounds of mesquite gum to ship to the East, where it was made into gumdrops. Texans still ship a fair amount of it to Australia, where it is used to treat coughs, sore throats, and painful teeth and gums.   

          Bees in desert regions rely on its pollen to make food for their young and honey for the winter. Desert deer, coyote, jackrabbits, skunks, turkeys, quail, doves, and javelina all depend on the seedpods as a food source.

          In a world growing increasingly hot, mesquite is a natural resource we would do well to protect and expand.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller