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Growth habits of the Honey Mesquite are such that locating just the right piece of lumber for a product is much more luck than planning. For well over one hundred years, Mesquite has been considered an invasive species, good only for cooking wood. In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the Mesquite to be one of the 100 worst invasive species when out of its native range. 

Prior to the establishment of the cattle herds of the Central United States, Mesquites were confined mostly to Mexico and what is now far Southwestern United States. Mesquites, while armed with menacing and slightly toxic thorns, also produce beans that are food for a number of indigenous species of mammals as well as being a protein-packed source of food for cattle. 

Cattle, with their multi-chamber digestive system, are a perfect incubator and means of transport for the organically pre-fertilized seeds. As Texans stole cattle from Mexico, where the mesquite beans are a staple of their diet, and drove the herds north, the cattle took seeds with them, and as a matter of nature, sowed those seeds from Texas to Montana. At that time, the stretch from the Rio Grande to the Canadian border was almost nothing but prairie with very few native trees except in low, wet places. In fact, this was considered to be part of the Buffalo Common.

Since the introduction of Mesquite trees to all but East Texas, millions of dollars are spent annually in an attempt to control the invasive species by farmers and ranchers. As former farmers and ranchers ourselves, we can attest to the difficulty in controlling the mesquite.

Please see below to explore the Mesquite tree and other native Texas trees in more detail. For a quick look, you may follow the links below. about our favorite trees.