“We call that the magic tree,” a neighbor told me when we first moved into our new home in Borrego Springs, California.
She was an elderly woman who had stopped by during our post-move yard sale.
“It’s been there for years and survived every big storm that’s come through here,” she added.
At that time, I didn’t even know what type of tree it was. I was happy it was there to provide some shade but wasn’t too fond of the rickety boards that someone had put up at some point to try to keep it from falling.
“Really? We were actually thinking it might have to come down,” I replied.
“Oh no, I hope you’ll reconsider. That tree is special.”
I’ve since learned that it is a mesquite tree and we spent the next year trimming it from time to time, as seen in the 2025 photo above. It seemed to grow so quickly.
On February 18, 2026, though, fierce winds tore through our side of town. Roofing was torn off homes, vehicles were damaged, and storm debris was strewn everywhere.
We fared better than some of our neighbors but the “magic tree” took a huge hit. The winds ripped off the entire top half of the tree and sent it flying around the side of our house.
The rest of the mesquite was a shattered, leaning skeleton, its upper branches torn away by the storm.
It looked horrible and my husband and I figured it was probably time to have it cut down. We even asked the local landscaper who was helping us clear out the debris for a quick assessment and quote.
“That tree is pretty far gone,” he told us. “You might get a couple of random shoots to come out but that’s it.”
We had to agree; it looked pretty sad. But we’d have to save up to have it taken out, so the tree stayed.
What happened in the next several weeks completely surprised us.
The tree came back to life—not just a little, but dramatically. So much so that even one of our other neighbors, who is a botanist, was surprised. She thought we had done something to make it look so good.
Nope. We hadn’t lifted a finger, partly out of hesitation and partly because removing it would cost us a pretty penny. Mesquite wood is so heavy, it only makes the process more complicated.
Now I’m no tree expert, and neither is my husband. So I decided to read up on mesquite trees to find out if this is normal.
It turns out they are built for survival. They have deep roots, can recover even after severe damage, and are notoriously hard to kill. Less magic, more resilience. That’s what has let this tree survive every storm.
I’ll still continue to affectionately refer to the mesquite as the “magic tree,” though. Because there’s something special about watching a tree you thought was gone come back to life in such a short time.
Out here in the desert, nature is stubborn, I’ve learned. And maybe that’s where the real magic is.
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