Prosopis farcta
Prosopis farcta, commonly known as the Syrian mesquite, is a plant in the pea family found around the Middle East. It is unusual because most of its “tree” is underground. The part above ground looks like a shrub 20–100 cm tall, sometimes up to 4 meters. The root system forms a trunk with branches that can go 20 meters or more below ground, so the plant is really a tree with only the treetop visible above ground. The treetop can spread over a large area, more than 1,000 square meters, all connected to the same root system.
This mesquite grows in warm, Mediterranean heat and can handle difficult soils, including salty ones, but it does not like shade. It is common in the Middle East and can be found as far north as southern Russia, east to India, and west to Algeria. It is part of the Irano-Turanian region. The leaves are green-grey, and the plant is deciduous, losing leaves in some seasons. The branches have thorns.
From May to August it produces small yellowish flowers, and the plant is rich in pollen, making it an important summer plant for pollinators in the region. The fruit is edible. It changes color from pink to brown as it ripens, is spongy, has a bland taste, and is covered with a leathery peel. The seeds are small, brown, and flat. Bedouin nomads sometimes roast and eat the fruit.
Prosopis farcta can be very damaging to crops in deep, heavy soils. To control it, you need to remove both the shrubs above ground and all of the underground roots. If any root fragments remain, new plants can grow.
In folk medicine, the fruit is used as a diuretic and for various conditions such as constipation, hemorrhoids, toothache, diabetes, kidney stones, and skin problems. Overall, the plant is not highly toxic, with only one report of mild toxicity in four children who ate seeds with pods.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN 3.1).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:39 (CET).