A seed pod blows onto the desert floor and begins its adventure surviving in the desert. The pod is picked up by a desert dove, dropped, eaten by a deer, digested and expelled, swept up in a rainstorm, and sprouted into a seedling. It's first trial of survival is when it repels a rabbit intent on eating its delicate leaves. The seedling protects itself by pricking the rabbits nose with its natural forming thorns. The tree grows and produces flowers and seed pods that feed the desert animals. Distribution of the seeds result in growth of new trees that surround the mother tree. Years pass and the unpredictable climate brings a long period of drought. Mesquite trees survive by losing their leaves and storing their water. With their tap roots that can reach up to 200 feet, they survive with water stored in underground aquifers. Years pass, limbs break, all the animals and humans leave, yet the mesquite trees survive.
Boom, boom, a dramatic desert storm drops buckets of water onto the desert floor and the trees flourish once again.
Mesquite trees come with colorful names such as Velvet Mesquite, Screwbean Mesquite and Honey Mesquite. They are found in the Sonoran, Mohave, and Chihuahuan deserts of North America as well as far reaching parts of the world such as South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
The book has a facts section that introduces desert animals that take shelter or sustenance from mesquite trees. Among these animals are White Winged Doves, Mule Deer, Jackrabbits, coyotes, and Gambel's Quail with a look at a prehistoric ground sloth.
For botany lovers, the leaf stomata are introduced to learn how tree leaves maintain and release moisture and how the dropping of leaves allows the tree to conserve water. An explanation of the relationship of fungus and tree roots is explained and the method of communication between trees is addressed.
A big player in the dessert food web, the mesquite provides a banquet of sustenance to animals and humans alike. The cat-tail flowers can be consumed and the seed pods can be eaten. Rich in protein, they have been nourishing lifeforms for millions of years.
Historic uses of the tree bark, the tree sap, the flowers, and the seed pods are explored. From the early Aztecs to our own Native American people, traditional uses have been passed from one culture to another. The fibrous seed pods with their high protein content have been recognized for their value supporting healthy blood-sugar levels and therefore beneficial to individuals with diabetes. The herbal and medicinal uses of the leaves are numerous such as treating toothaches and eye soreness. The bark is prized for flavoring meats while being slow burning with little smoke.
Two special treats are included in this book. The first is a sequencing of an emerging seedling that's depicted as a flip book on the bottom right-hand corner of the book. The second is a photo of the largest Velvet Mesquite in North America measuring 18' 3" in circumference. In its heyday, this tree had a 50-foot canopy! This elder's age is approximately 200 years and has begun showing his age.
The Mighty Mesquite, written in English and Spanish, is informational, entertaining, culturally relevant, and will appeal to readers young and old alike.
