Prosopis juliflora
Common name: Cashaw
Other common names: Ironwood, Mesquite, Puss claw
Description
Native to the Caribbean and South America
Use: The ripe seedpods are high in sugar and are palatable to livestock. They are reported to have a crude protein content of around 14% of dry weight.
Wood is popular for use in smoking foods for preservation and to add flavour, in particular meat, fish and vegetables. The flavour is reported to be sweeter and more delicate than that of hickory wood.
It yields a a commercial gum known as Mesquite gum in the trade, which often has a distinctive red colour
Climate: Grows naturally in dry to sub-humid subtropical and tropical climates, generally in areas with average annual low temperatures of 15 to 24 °C, average annual high temperatures of 26 to 35 °C and annual rainfall of 200 to 1200 mm.
Where it grows
References
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