This tree blooms from spring to summer. It often produces fruits known as "pods". "Prosopis" spp. are able to grow up to 8 m tall, depending on site and climate. It is deciduous and depending on location and rainfall can have either deep or shallow roots. "Prosopis" is considered long-lived because of the low mortality rate after the dicotyledonous stage and juveniles are also able to survive in conditions with low light and drought. The Cahuilla indigenous people of western North America were known to eat the seeds of mesquite.