Strombocarpa pubescens

It is a spiny, muti-trucked shrub or small tree native to the American Southwest, known for its unique, tightly coiled seed pods. It is a riparian plant that thrives in areas with groundwater and has historically been a valuable food source for both wildlife and humans, who ground the nutritious pods into flour for cakes and syrup. The plant is also used for its durable wood and is an important indicator of groundwater due to its deep roots. It has fine, gray-green foliage, double compound leaves, and is armed with sharp spines. The flowers are rellow spikes or catkins produced spring, summer and fall. The most distinctive feature is its seed pods, which are tightly coiled like a screw and are 0.8 to 2 inches long. Mature trees are experiencing die-offs, likely due to a combination of factors including climate change, river damming, and human development.