Taylor Family Desert Legume Garden

Legumes have been an important food source for humanity since the dawn of mankind. Economically, legumes constitute the world’s most important food crops, second only to grains. Seeds are high in protein, pods are often sweet yet have a low glycemic index, and the sprouts and leaves of many species are edible. The pods of our native velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) have been used to make flour for centuries and the carob (Ceratonia siliqua) has been cultivated for its sweet pods just as long in the Middle East. In industry, legumes provide dyes and tannins, gums to thicken foods, and quality wood for flooring, tools, artwork, and timber. Many species, such as the globally cultivated alfalfa (Medicago sativa), provide forage for the cattle and other livestock that feed the world.

With their diverse array of flowers, legumes also provide us with beauty. Here in the desert, many of our common ornamental plants, such as the orange- and-yellow flowered Mexican bird-of-paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), the fragrant purple Texas mountain laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum), and the hummingbird-attracting red Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica) are none other than desert legumes.