06/16/2026
If you've ever spotted a mesquite with spiraled seedpods, you've probably met this week's Native Plant of the Week: Screwbean Mesquite (Strombocarpa pubescens). While it's closely related to Honey Mesquite, its unusual twisted seedpods make it easy to recognize. In fact, the pods resemble little screws, giving the plant its common name, and its Spanish name, "Tornillo."
Screwbean Mesquite grows along streams and floodplains across the arid Southwest and northern Mexico, often in damp or salty soils. Along with other mesquites, wolfberries (Lycium spp.), and arrowweed (Pluchea sericea), it helps define the Mesquite Bosque habitat type.
This large shrub or small multi-trunked tree typically reaches 25–30 feet tall and provides light, dappled shade from its finely divided leaves. Pale yellow flower spikes 3 inches long appear in late spring or early summer, after Honey Mesquite finishes blooming.
Like many members of the Legume family, the seedpods are an important food source for wildlife and are also used as food by Native Peoples of the Southwest.
Photos 1-6 from Kevin Floyd, El Paso Chapter. All were taken in either Rio Bosque Wetlands Park or Keystone Heritage Park / El Paso Botanical Garden, both excellent representations of past river floodplains.
1. Green twisted seedpods
2. Maturing seedpods
3. Flowers
4. Leaves
5. Entire plant. This one is about 20 ft tall.
6. Plant in winter with some pods still hanging on like ornaments
Photo 7 are reported sightings from iNaturalist.org .
