Flower profile
Honey mesquite
Neltuma glandulosa
Honey mesquite is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: New Mexico, Texas
Quick look
Neltuma glandulosa, formerly Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as honey mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized, thorny shrub or tree in the legume family (Fabaceae).
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas and New Mexico. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 30,345 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #6 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,882 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #17 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Honey mesquite gift ideas
Handmade honey mesquite gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Honey mesquite art print
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Honey mesquite greeting card
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Honey mesquite mug
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Honey mesquite earrings
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Honey mesquite embroidery pattern
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Honey mesquite sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Native | March–July | 30,345 |
| New Mexico | Native | few records | 1,882 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
- iNaturalist, Neltuma glandulosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Neltuma glandulosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Neltuma glandulosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.