When Can You Trim a New Mesquite Tree?

If you enjoy growing native plants and are looking for a relatively small, yet interesting tree for a xeriscape, don't overlook the mesquite tree. Of the many species, perhaps the most common is the honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), native to the Southwest and parts of California as well as Mexico. It is a cultivated specimen in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9 and does well with basic care and some mesquite tree trimming. The same pruning techniques will work for all mesquite species in the U.S., which are similar in form.


You can prune a new mesquite tree during the winter months once the tree is at least three years old.

Mesquite Tree Pruning Timing

A newly planted mesquite tree doesn't require mesquite tree trimming, but you can remove any small branch that crosses and touches another branch because it might injure the tree's bark on a windy day. Beyond removing crossing or damaged branches, you shouldn't prune a tree before it's three years old, because the tree establishes new roots based on the size of its canopy.

If you prune too soon, you could end up with a tree whose roots aren't strong enough to maintain good growth and keep the tree firmly attached to the ground. Once the tree is old enough, the best time to prune a mesquite tree is during the winter, when the tree goes dormant, although you can also prune in early spring or fall, but you might have fewer flowers with this schedule.

Mesquite Tree Characteristics

The honey mesquite tree has a pleasing growth habit, with a spreading, rounded canopy that's made up of randomly crooked, slightly drooping branches. Overall, it's about 30 feet tall when mature, with an equal spread, and is notable for the sharp, 2-inch-long spines that cover its branches, advises Texas Native Plants Database.

The tree has bright-green, compound leaves that appear feathery from a distance. In spring, the tree produces clusters of small, yellow-green, fragrant flowers that attract bees. These are followed by long, flat seed pods in late summer or fall.

Mesquite Tree Trimming

A mesquite tree grows best when allowed to follow its naturally spreading, multi-trunked habit. Leaving multiple trunks on a tree also increases the shade it produces as it grows, which helps cool the tree's roots and keeps down the evaporation of water from the soil. A spreading habit also allows leaves to drop over a wide area, which provides a natural, slowly degrading mulch that also helps stop the drying of the soil.

You can remove small-to-medium branches that don't contribute to the tree's shape or branches that droop towards the ground and whose thorns could be hazards to passersby. Using sharp pruning shears or a pruning saw for larger branches, remove the branch close to its origin, leaving the branch collar, or raised area on the lower section of the branch you're removing.

When mesquite tree trimming, wear sturdy work gloves for protection against the tree's sharp thorns. Always sterilize pruning shears before and between cuts to prevent the spread of disease.

Other Mesquite Tree Care

The mesquite tree grows best in full sun and thrives in any type of well-drained soil, advises Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It doesn't do well in areas that tend to stay moist and soggy after rain, so add coarse sand to your planting site if your soil is rich in clay and tends to drain slowly.

It's also especially tolerant of salty air and soil and is quite drought tolerant once established, although providing extra water to a young tree can help it get a good start. The mesquite tree can be invasive in certain areas, propagating itself through wind-spread seeds, but you can counteract this tendency by clearing dropped seed pods from under a tree regularly.