Neltuma glandulosa

It is a thorny, deciduous shrub or small tree native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It is known for its feathery green leaves, fragrant yellow flowers, and sweet, edible seed pods that are a food source for wildlife and have been used by indigenous peoples for centuries. The leaves are compound, bright green, and feathery. The flowers are yellow spikes or catkins, quite fragrant, appearing in spring and summer. Twigs are armed with sharp, straight thorns up to 2 inches long. Roots are very deep with a taproot system that can reach underground water sources. The plant is highly drought-tolerant due to its deep taproot and is also a valuable honey plants. The seeds are eaten by a variety of animals, such as scaled quail. Other animals, including deer, collared peccaries, coyotes, cactus mice, and jackrabbits, feed on both pods and vegetation. Honey mesquite thorns are sharp, stout spines on young or regrowth mesquite trees that can be up to 2 or 3 inches long, but mature trees often have few to none.