Seed can germinate under considerable moisture stress. Seed retained within intact pods can remain viable for up to 40 years, but exposed seeds dry out or decay more rapidly. Seedlings typically emerge from soil depths of 1-2 cm. Seedling root growth can be up to 10 times more rapid than shoot growth. Plants mature after 3 years.
Livestock browsing on fruits can disperse seeds to new sites.
Honey mesquite differs from velvet mesquite by having glabrous to sparsely hairy leaflets mostly greater than 15 mm long. Unlike creeping mesquite, screw bean has spike-like flower heads and leaflets densely covered with hairs. Acacia species are easily distinguished from the mesquites by having more than 10 stamens per flower.