PlantFiles: Silk Tree, Mimosa Tree, Pink Siris
Albizia julibrissin

I planted seeds from my mimosa tree that I had collected from another tree prior to moving. It has been about 2 years & growing well, but no blooms. Was wondering if it may take a few years to mature before I get the blooms. Can anyone tell me? I love this tree & the blooms are so pretty.

This plant may be invasive but it has so much to offer mankind, so it must be preserved. Most planst that are invasive are usually valuable medically and the mimosa is no exception.

For over thousands of years the bark of the Mimosa has been used to treat lesions of the skin. For hikers hurt and bleeding this is a benefit to have growing nearby. Mimosa root bark contains 16% tannins, which act as an astringent, making the skin stop bleeding. This helps protect the body from infection, while the skin's cells repairs DNA and builds new protective tissue.

In 1984, 5000 burn victims were helped with powdered Mimosa bark because the bark in this form is also a pain killer for many hours.

Its also a natural dewormer for woodland creatures. I won't let this beautiful tree grow in my browse areas because the green leaves can and has caused deformities in goat/sheep kids if too much is eaten by a pregnant doe however I do cut down some small branches and let each of my girls take a few nibbles each month because it also will deworm my goats naturally.

On the ecological/symbiotic side;
A species of beetle; oncideres, finds exclusively a mimosa tree, which she finds and climbs, lay her eggs,which she does by crawling out on a limb,cutting a longitudinal slit with her mandible and deposits her eggs. Now beetle larvae cannot survive in living wood, so she backs up about a foot and for about 8 hours cuts a neat circular girdle all around the limb, through the bark and down into the cambium then she leaves. The limb dies from the girdling, falls to the ground with the next wind storm and the larvae feed and grow into the next generation.

Left to themselves, an unpruned mimosa tree has a life span of twenty-five to thirty years. Pruned each year, which is what the beetle’s girdling labor accomplishes, the tree can flourish for a century. The mimosa/beetle relationship is an elegant example of symbiotic partnership.

I hate this tree. It grows faster than anything, plants itself everywhere and it stinks when you break it. It is hard to pull even when young. This tree is an ecological disaster.

I have not found one person here in Tucson that hates this tree. Its simply outstanding! I had mine in a big pot for the first 3 years and then planted it beside my pond when I moved. It does make for some clean up in the pond, but the wonderful shade it brings makes it worth it. The humming birds love it! I found it to be slow growing and I never have had it reproduce from seed, sadly. I wish I had ten.

Invasive? I find the massive Oak trees in the yard of our rental home more invasive than the pretty Mimosa's. The Mimosa is lovely, resmbles a fern to me. I haven't noticed any unwanted seedlings coming up the way others are saying they will.... I can't get rid of all the darn acorns that are sprouting in my yard, flower beds, herb garden. I also have sweet pea that just showed up after three years at this residence. talk about invasive and difficult to kill...it is all over the yard not to mention taking over one of my flower/ tree gardens...

My mother lives in an older part of Raleigh NC and I take care of her yard. I have planted lots of Azaleahs and Gardenias in her yard, a few rose bushes with no luck, then suddenly from nowhere a Mimosa starts growing right at the edge of the front porch beside the house, almost looks as it if is coming from under the house. It has grown so fast this year that is is growing over into the dogwood planted in the front yard. My question is whether this will cause damage to the house/foundation, etc? My mother loves the tree, as do I, but are unsure of what to do (cut it down or just prune it), any suggestions. I also just noticed another one growing in front of the house inside of an azaleah, small one about 2 feet tall. Thanks for any help with this. This is the first one I've seen in this neighborhood. On another note, her back yard has bamboo growing like wildfire, but that is another story. Thanks!

The mimosa was one of the first plants placed in our southern exposure yard over 10 years ago, and it remains a solid favorite for both me and my husband. Over the years, it has gradually developed into a 15-20 foot tree with a beautiful canopy. It has flourished in alkaline clay soil with average water (by desert standards) and provides much desired filtered shade for neighboring plants. The mimosa responds well to fertilizer but does not seem to require it, so most years, it goes without. The branches have withstood 65mph wind gusts, and we've never had problems with fallen limbs. It handles temperatures that range from 5F to nearly 120F and takes full desert sun without any protest whatsoever. This plant has developed an incredible root system! Volunteer seedlings have never been an issue because the garden is heavily mulched. So, seeds never have a chance to take hold. The tree does generate a good amount of litter, but it is a small price to pay for such a tough and beautiful specimen plant!

I live on Vancouver Island and just got this tree as a house warming gift. Hope it does well here and isn't "marginal" or invasive either for that matter. Will keep it away from the driveway just in case!

I love my Mimosa tree! MY grandmother had 2 when I was little and I loved the smell and flowers. We played under it and climbed it all the time. Now I have my own home and have one growing. I am having trouble getting a true tree. Mine looks more like a bush. So many little spouts came up at the same time in the same area that there are many little trunks coming up. Is there a way to bond them together to make a bigger trunk?

Read alot of the posts - you either love it or hate it....and yes I can attest to it becoming an invasive plant. The dogwood, redbud and azalea blooming wild along the roads in East Texas, Woodville area, in the spring.....right up there with all that beauty, in the summer, the mimosa making it's wild display along the roadways...and it is beautiful too. So much so, I wanted one in our yard at the lakehouse. I have several coming up in the yard without myself going thru all the trouble!
I have to tell the guys not to mow over my mimosa!! We'll see!

The trees are beautiful, fast growing, and give a lot of shade. I grew up with one next to the driveway, here in Florida. The lawn mower takes care of seedlings with no problem. It's really cool how the leaves fold up at night and reopen in the morning. Sure, a few of the flowers will turn brown on your driveway, but you can always hose them off. I'm planning to plant a couple in the back yard. I won't live long enough to go the live oak route.

this tree is the tree that first sparked my interest in plants and got me growing all these different kinds of plants that i am today

Perhaps if a person wants this plant so badly, they can place it in a large pot and remove the seeds before they spread.
Would work great on an outdoor patio. ;-)

Our neighbor has a mimosa that overhangs the fence. Some call it the tree of heaven, but my wife calls it the tree from hell. Mounds of pink fuzz all over our parsley and basil and tangled in the pepper plants, seedlings popping up everywhere. This past summer I laid a ransom bluestone patio around our small exercise pool. I was despairing of being able to get the mossy thyme started quickly enough to fill in between the stones before trying to sweep, hose and vacuum off the next years avalanche of sticky pink fluff, when our neighbor told us she finally convinced her husband to take it out so she can have a garden in the area now underneath it. We promptly volunteered to share the cost, and she offered us the wood for our fireplace. I wonder how well it burns - quick and dirty like pine, or slow and hot like eucalyptus?

This is a beautiful tree. It is the most exotic plant here in zone7b. It is very popular. It spreads and has pink and white flowers all summer.

Too invasive. If attracting butterflies is your objective, you would be better off planting a couple of butterfly bushes (buddleia) or some milkweed. Even though my two ten year old mimosa trees have never flowered, they somehow still manage to produce tons of seedlings all over the yard.

This plant has taken over our roadsides and the edges of natural areas. I hate this tree! It also sprouts all over my yard!

Mimosa is a nicer name than Bastard Tamarind. I've heard it called Persian Silk Tree too. It reminds me of a callistemon.

Yes they are messy, but I use them as sun shades for my yard.
I have 12 evenly spaced but only let them get about 12 feet tall.
Makes nice filtered shade with little care. Calif 92373

I brought home (to Canada) a seed pod of this tree which was growing like a weed in Salt Lake City. I started several plants from the seeds, and gave away all but one which I have in a large (5-gal.) pot. After about 10 years of protection from the winter, which may not have been necessary, it was accidentally subjected to a freeze while I was away from home. It survived, but bore no flowers this year. I'm crossing my fingers for next year.

Messy at times as I grow it on a balcony, but I seem to have the only survivor of my original batch of seeds.

These trees are a total weed in the southeast. Every time I see the flowers, I think of the backache involved in pulling the seedlings. They do look out of place growing next to our native trees and I think they look trashy.

On a recent vacation to the Smokey Mountains, I was amazed to see mimosas growing there too. That's one place I thought I could go and not have to see this weed!

This plant is very invasive. I started a veggie garden and a wildflower garden this summer. I spent the last month pulling up baby mimosa coming up everywhere. It has taken over our backyard and my husband just mows over with the mower. I want to get rid of this nuisance.

People, PLEASE STOP planting these things! Yes, they are pretty, but they are also destroying our already threatened southern forrests! This is not hyperbole - drive down any southern highway or through the Smokies or the Blueridge Mountains, and you will see them everywhere along the roadsides. They are one of several exotic species slowly outcompeting our native trees and shrubs. Are you REALLY so selfish you're willing to endanger our native fauna and flora over some LANDSCAPING? Please stop and consider the consequences. There are lots of beautiful native and exotic but non-invasive alternatives. :)

Wow! I never new this beautiful tree could spark such bitterness! I can't imagine how such a small thin-leaved tree could be so invasive! I've got a whole lot of hackberry trees on my place and I'd love to replace them with these. I had these in the yard as a kid and always loved the way that they sprawled out. I could climb up in them and sit on the branches and was able to jump to the ground. I remember a few saplings would come up each year but they were easily removed. We planted sunloving plants under them and they did great! And the blooms are gorgeous. To each his own, I guess.

Although I agree they are pretty, they compete too well with native species on forest edges and can become so dense that they will crowd out other plants. They can take over a stream bank in just a few years. Plant one and you will leave a legacy of sprouts for up to 50 years, that is how long the seeds can remain dormant before coming up in you favorite bed, where you will find it fast growing and nearly impossible to pull and a pain to dig. The only kind thing I can think of is that as a child I found it easy to carve initials and hearts in the trunk. This is one that would have been better left in Asia.

FYI the very first Albizia julibrissin planted in the US is located at 1320 Weller Way (north of Land Park) in Sacramento, CA . It was brought into the States by a nurseryman and selections were made by him for distribution in the various areas of the US. We purchased the home in the very early 50 and had to sign a contract that we would maintain the tree in good health. I believe that this covenent is still part of the title deed.

Grows well for me in 5b/6a north Central Ohio. It easily endured a horribly warm winter followed by -8F and a blizzard. I know that keeping this tree will take work. I know I will need to be responsible with it, but I remember the incredible, subtle fragrance that permeated the air in South Carolina.

I want that in my back yard.

On a side note, I tried smaller seedlings a few years ago and all were killed by the winter cold, so I'm suspecting that up here this tree will be fairly well behaved.

i love the tropiclal look of it in the summer. exotic flowers cover the tree it grows fast. not to weedy here.

I GROW THESE IN MY YARD,KEARNEYSVILLE,WV,AND THEY GROW IN ALL PARTS OF WV ALSO,WE JUST LOVE OURS AND I NAME THEM AS WELL WITH THIER OWN PERSONAL NAMES AS THEY ARE SO MUCH A PART OF OUR FAMILY.THEY BRING US SHADE AND A COMFORT TO LOOK AT. MARCIALYNN

The mimosa grows wild here in south Mississippi and I truly believe we are blessed because of it. As a girl growing up here, I have so many wonderful memories of climbing a huge old mimosa in our back yard where I could sit undetected for hours and think, read or just watch the cars go by. Such a pleasant, shady place on a HOT summer day. Everyone had one or two in their yards and the absolute best thing to me about mimosas is the smell of the flowers,it is divine, like angels breath. My sons have grown up knowing how much mama loves mimosa and every year I can't wait till they bloom,when we first see a bloom, no matter where weare, my son will stop the car and go pick me mimosa blossoms,ah heavenly scent, I now have 5 yr. old tripplett grand daughters and they will know all about mimosas this summer!

I have loved these trees for as long as I can remember and when I finally bought my own house, I transplanted one from my folks' place in North Carolina. Man was I excited! However, while the tree has really grown fast, it has yet to bloom in the four years it has been growing. The other thing I have noted is that it loses almost all of it's "leaves" before the summer is over. I must admit the whole tree thing is new to me so maybe I am just being impatient. I cannot find any information on this particular problem so I guess I will continue to wait...but if nothing happens in the next couple of years, I think I will just have to replace it with some other kind of tree.

I had never seen/heard of this plant until I lived overseas in Japan. While there I thought it was an interesting tree with unique blooms and a nice smell. I haven't seen anyone else comment on the smell of the blooms. Maybe I am silly, but I will always associate this tree with the smell of the flowers and dusky sunsets. After three years in Japan we moved back to Indiana. (Of course we forgot about this tree.) And then lo and behold we buy a house in a small town and down the street a neighbor has one in her front yard! It is a fairly large tree, so I assume it has been there for some time. And I have yet to see many limbs or branches down to indicate that it is weak wooded. I was surprised when I saw this was rated for zone 6a. We are in central Indiana and are zone 5. It is a gorgeous tree and very distinctive in our neigbor's yard. I love to walk the dog down the street and smell the blooms. It makes me think of my years overseas (sniff) and more tropical climates.

Just wanted to add, my grandmother, who was born in New Orleans in 1901, told me when she was little she and her sisters would make necklaces using mimosa seeds and cantaloupe seeds that they dyed different colors using dyes they made, mulberries and things like that. Their big day was when they sold a necklace to their teacher for a quarter. Now I love mimosa trees for this story, as well as their beauty.

Great site you have here! In regards to the
> Mimosa Tree, I am a Stillwater, OK native. And I grew up
> climbing and even building a tree house in the beautiful
> large Mimosa Tree (W/Pink Flowers) that adorned our front
> yard. So, what I am asking is, can you include
> "Stillwater, OK" in your list of locations. By the way, I
> give it a 90% Positive. And a 10% Negative, because it can
> be a nuisance when the seeds fall and one starts to grow
> next to the foundation of your home. Hacking it off
> doesn't kill it. It will still grow back. Very Hearty!
> Thanks for Your time! ~Mike Duckwall~
> [e-mail:mikeduckwall@military.com]

Silk Tree, Mimosa Tree, Pink Siris Albizia julibrissin is naturalized in Texas and other States and is considered an invasive plant in Texas.

I was shocked to see Mimosa on a top ten plant list when it should be on the THUG list! Yes, the flowers are interesting, but the seeds spread this plant like crazy and it displaces native species. I did research that involved plants and hummingbirds, and the birds do tend to ignore pollinating native species when the mimosa is in flower - and that makes it harder for our beautiful natives to reproduce. It is considered invasive in mountain, piedmont and coastal regions of Virginia according to our Division of Natural Heritage, yet nurseries are still allowed to sell it (I'll never get that!).

Some people love this "tree" while others cant stand it. For me I called this so called tree a weed! To me it serves no purpose. Its VERY invasive and hard to get rid of. I just go over the lawn more with it now but will eventually have to do something else.

I grew up in NC where this tree is abundant! It has the most beautiful foliage and blossoms in the early summer. It tolerated some of our driest years and some of our harshest ice storms with no visible damage. They grow very fast and propogate very quickly. We have them here in MO but I've not seen them grow like they do further south. I plan to start mine from seeds. I do love them and think they are a great addition to any butterfly garden(as long as you keep them under control (ex. pull up the volunteers).

I wish I could say "EXTREMELY NEGATIVE". Through my experiences with this plant, there's nothing I consider attractive about it. I spent a stint in the National Park Service where this plant was on our top 10 list of invasives to kill. Dave's Garden, PLEASE take this off this list and put it on the list of thugs! Small wonder its only competitors are Pawlomia and Japanese honeysuckle -- two other Japanese invasives! Stop it! Stop it!

As with other non-native invasives, please, help out this lovely country of ours and try to select NATIVE plants with comparably attractive properties if at all possible.

This tree is listed on the USDA Invasive Plants list as an invasive and noxious weed. Here in Alabama it pushes out native trees and shrubs along highways, particularly interstate highways, to the point where along some stretches it is the dominant plant. The only true competitors to this plant are other invasive plants like Paulownia tomentosa (Princess Tree), kudzu, and, in some cases, Japanese honeysuckle. Yes, it is beautiful when in bloom; however, this becomes a curse because of the prolific seed production. There are too many native plant species that are just as beautiful; they are just not "exotic."

The invasive Mimosa (Albizzia julibrissin) should not be confused with our Texas native Fragrant Mimosa (Mimosa borealis), which is a wonderful fast-growing shrub (to 9 feet tall) and very low maintenance.

The Austin Grow Green program recommends planting a Desert WIllow (Chilopsis linearis) instead of the invasive Mimosa.

Garish tree that looks out of place wherever it's planted, IMO. Invades our woodlands in New Jersey and is considered an invasive species.

I live in an apartment in Rock Hill,S.C. and this tree grows on the creek bank behind my apartment.I think it is a wonderful tree.It atracts alot of humming birds and butterflies.When I get my house I plan to take some of the seeds to plant.

In the Piedmont of South Carolina, the Mimosa tree is extremely Invasive! On the college campus where I teach
it is growing all along the wood lines.
All along I-85 it is growing into the barrier fences along the Greenville-Spartanburg area.

Great plant for Hummingbirds and buttleflies, but a problem.

Beautiful specimen tree, not at all invasive here, possibly due to the lack of rainfall, low humidity, and alkali soil of Eastern Washington State. Can be difficult to start, but quite dependable once established. Rarely lasts more than 30-50 years because the brittle wood breaks in the high winds once it gets large and old. I have never seen a severely damaged tree recover here, in contrast to the comments above which indicate that it comes back from the stump in other parts of the country.

This grows fast. BUT it is what I consider a trash tree, (it just about always has something falling from it). Little trees start just about everywhere a seed falls. The ONLY reason I would plant it is if you want something extremely fast growing that is showy and you don't mind cleaning up under it a lot.

Was very interesting to read all the above opinions about this tree. I was not familiar with its invasiveness, but then that is a regional problem, mostly. Here in dry, deserty southern California, few things are as invasive as they are in the wet eastern half of the country. This plant is grown commonly here as a stately and fascinating landscape specimen- one of the few horizontal forming silohuettes you can grow here. And as for invasiveness, I have not heard of a problem here. It can show up in potted plants that get watered all the time, but rarely, if ever, does it reproduce itself, at least here somewhat inland in southern California. Sadly, it is messy, and loses its leaves in the winter.

In my area southeast Arkansas and all the areas around my area, MS, LA, TN, TX, and others, the Mimosa Tree is considered a messy, invasive pest. They are 'drippy' and their flowers become sticky, stinky and unsightly. I had no idea there was any use for them until I read the plant file reviews, I'm amazed they are appreciated anyplace.

This tree is the most invasive nuisance ever. If there is one within 50 miles, you can bet you're going to have seedlings in your yard. They sprout EVERYWHERE.

The only cute thing I did notice the other day on my neighbor's tree was that the hummingbirds enjoy it. I've got all sorts of beautiful flowers that "supposedly" hummingbirds love...they head for the Mimosa.

June 21/2006,I have growed these beautiful Mimosa tree's for years. I live in Hamilton, Ohio. It will do what you make it do. Mine are over 20 years old, they have been cut to the ground at least three times, I even tryed twisting the new shoots that came up. They were very pretty!! but the bark did not like it, so I cut them back to the ground in about three years.They are now about 7 to 10 ft. The butterfly's and Hummingbird's love them,but if you do not like the flowers or seedlings,clip them off, it does not hurt them. (well it does not hurt mine). I keep mine like an umbrella, so soom times I clip the flower buds. mine have never been invasive.

I live in Lake Forest, CA, and the city planted a few dozen along one of the main roads just a year or two ago and they're thriving, in bloom right now and breathtaking! I just bought my very first home, and I have always said I would plant an albizia in the front yard, so I just bought a five gallon baby! Can't wait to chop and grind out my diseased apricot tree and watch this little lovely grow! Sure, it will be a mess, but nature tends to be a bit messy, so I don't mind! It can't be any worse than pulling up the hundreds of suckers that come up from my apricot tree all over the lawn each week!

This tree here in Jasper Alabama is a very unwanted tree..BUT i don't have them in my yard..so on that note it does not bother me!..although i have one on the side of my driveway and yes it does have seedlings everywhere..this tree is 40-50 ft tall(yes!! it is the biggest i have ever seen!)

anyway i will post pictures if i can?

I live in Rhode Island and I started 4 silk trees from seed 3 years ago. They are now 3 ft. tall and I wonder when they will be ready to plant outside. This is an enjoyable plant to watch grow. They drop there branches often and readily return--only taller.

I love my Mimosa Tree!!! I live in ga. where they pop up everywhere,As a kid growing up there was one on an empty
lot beside our house and I always loved to play around and under it and the flowers oh how I loved the flowers.I called it my feather tree. It lived there for about 20 years until someone bought the land and cut it down and it never came back after that.I tried for years to pull one up and replant it but they didn't live.so about a year ago I was out back at work and found thousands on the bank and after a good rain
I managed to pull a small 1ft one up and took it home and planted it in my front yard and watered it every other day
and this year it is about 4ft tall. I don't care if they are messy,It'll just give me something to do when it flowers and they start falling off. I recommand this for anyone....

Hideously invasive yet intoxicatingly beautiful tree. Perhaps this is why this species has become so predominant in our yards as well as in natural areas where it is appearing as it repeatedly escapes cultivation.

I am trying to grow my Mimosa indoors over the winter months but it doesn't seem to get any bigger. if it starts to grow, can it be kept indoors.

I am confused why this plant is in the 'top ten' list... It is highly invasive and should be in the top ten thug list..

Beautiful tree, carefree, kind of has that "old southern" look to it. Has local reputation for its roots getting into pipes, and spreads very aggresively by seed.....have to pull up seedlings all the time, and I don't even have one of these trees in my yard.

Yes, it's pretty. I'll take people's word that it attracts hummingbirds. It's officially a noxious weed in Florida, too. It's very hard to get rid of. I'm forever finding volunteer ones on my land (it loves disturbed sites such as former cropland.). I will gladly show any visitor several large fields near me, notably one along State Road 326 north of Ocala, that are covered with the blasted trees. I have sprayed small ones with Roundup, wet the leaves completely -- and it's a crapshoot whether this will kill them; sometimes it does, sometimes a new sucker comes up if the roots haven't quite been poisoned. These trees are unusual for legumes in that they don't host symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria -- but somehow they seem to thrive in truly miserable soil without them. They are not as acute an ecological threat here as the Chinese tallow-tree (with its fish-poisoning leaves), but they are a lot more cold-hardy than the other big regional pest, the camphor-tree. Oh, and the Chinese wisterias are in bloom now...another invader. Lovely.

I'm a native in southern Missouri and I feel very fortunate that Mimosa's grow wild here. We live in a wooded area and there is nothing more beautiful than a Mimosa amoungst the cedar tree's. Since they grow wild here, I found 3 young tree's, all around 3 feet each. I braided them and planted as 1 tree. Well it has been 4 years now and we are tickled pink when we witness people stopping in their cars to admire our natural 25 foot umbrella......especially when in bloom.

I recommend to anyone who wants to try this themselves to make sure that you have the room. This threesome will get wide as tall. But I guarantee that you will have something quite spectacular as it is beautiful :-)

Thank You,
Pamela Ehlers

ok, so i spent time worrying about how to get rid of this plant (grows invasively) and have discovered wonderful uses for it.

1) carving/walking sticks
2) firewood.

see link below for interesting information:

[HYPERLINK@www.winrock.org]

Not worth the seedlings everywhere, which are impossible to pull up pretty soon after sprouting, and only grow back seventeen (well, slight exaggeration) more sprouts if you cut them.

Treating the stub with Roundup immediately after cutting seems to work.

Please be considerate of your neighbors if you plant one of these, as your seedlings could get into their flower and shrub borders if planted too close.

All I can say is...This is one of the most beautiful Trees I've ever seen.

Although i do love this tree, i hate the mess, I had a large one at my other place and one of the windy days, it blew over and was a mess, it was also up -rooted from the wind. The roots seem to be too shallow. Its very pretty, but be careful when planting, stake it good and i mean good and deep. It was a shame to loose that big of tree. It was about 20 feet tall with a nice weeping canopy.

This is a perfect small desert-hardy tree. It's leaves close in adverse weather and can bloom all summer when happy. I met a woman who grew seedlings in pots, planted them in the spring, watched them do little during the first summer, only to see them die to the ground but send up 5-7' canes the following spring. At the end of the third year, she had mature flowering trees! She did not seem to have problems with seedlings taking over -exept where she encouraged it!

I can think of no small tree that casts a finer shimmering shade.

We have a 6 year old mimosa tree in my brother's yard, one street over from my own. He bought the property with the tree already established. When I was looking at his new property, being a gardener myself, I was curious as to his deceidedly oriental, or at least tropical looking tree. I looked it up on the web and found it to be a mimosa tree. As far as I know from looking it up it should not be able to survive in a Zone 5b area. Yet this tree is 30' tall and healthy as can be. I am starting some seedlings in 10" pots to transplant next spring. The peachy aroma is wonderful, and the hummingbirds are beautiful. His tree only throws out suckers in our cooler climate in late spring... hardly invasive in this zone. There are some seedlings that try to develop, but winter will kill them with no abandon, as it does each winter. I believe my grow-light farm in the basement will keep them alive to propagate in the spring. I feel I must add that the property owners had a garden planted around the tree, including peppers and tomatos that grew like mad. I can only think that they fed off of the nitrogen from the tree, or else it was a miracle-grow fed proliferation. I have collected 200+ seeds from pods, and intend to infect my property with the sexiest of trees that can grow in Illinois next spring. His house looks very much like a Japanese garden setting with the 300 gallon guppy/koi pond overlooked by a big mature mimosa and some tropical annuals.

My husband's mother planted our old one over 50 years ago and it is still doing well. However I never had any volunteers until about 2 years ago when I got some seeds apparently in some bags of leaves we get from a nearby town each fall. Now we have little volunteers all over the place! I have allowed a few to grow and they are doing well. We do not notice any fragrance and do not find they attract hummingbirds or anything else for that matter. Do Mimosa trees need to have a pollenator? That would explain the sudden appearance and survival of the volunteers the past couple years. We love ours. It grows out in the middle of the yard and has never frozen back or had any wind damage from the hard winds and tornados that so frequently hit our area. I would not rate their wood as soft for that reason.

Thanks folks for good information. I live in Zone 8b near Lake Sam Rayburn in Southeast, TX. In Spring I enjoy fragrance as I walk along country road.
One has appeared in my front yard! I'm thrilled! Its about 2 ft. tall but in a bad location. Hope to dig up and move to better place this Fall of 2005.
I wonder where the tree originated? Does anyone know the history of our lovely Silk Tree, Mimosa Tree, Pink Siris (Albizia julibrissin)?

Few people in the deep south bother to plant Mimosa for the simple fact that it so often volunteers of its own accord. The tree grows wild in subtropical areas, and it is often found in empty lots, on the side of the road, and so forth. If you want to place one in your yard, simply dig one up and transplant it--or more simply still cut off a branch, apply rooting hormones, and stick it in the ground. Very often, although not always, it will quickly establish itself.

Mimosa can grow up to forty feet but I find it more typically runs to a maximum of twenty feet. It has a comparatively small trunk and a remarkably wide branch spread. The feather-like leaves are extremely attractive and the pink flowers, which look rather like powderpuffs, are striking and have memorable perfume. The tree is also very forgiving in terms of care, requiring little more than the occasional pruning.

But like every other plant, Mimosa does have drawbacks, and it is best to know what they are before you place one in your yard. The tree tends to be brittle; branches can break in strong wind and if the higher branches become too heavy the trunk itself can split. The tree usually recovers from this, but it can affect its beauty.

The tree is also rather messy. The leaves pose no greater issue than any other tree, but the flowers are sticky--and when they drop they tend to stick where they land. If you are fussy about your walkway or driveway, you would be a fool to plant Mimosa where it will overhang them. The flowers are also notoriously hard on auto paint jobs; God forbid you should plant a Mimosa where it will overhang an unprotected car. Although the tree can spread through it's paper-like seed pods, it also spreads through it root system. This is really less of a problem than you might think: keeping the lawn reasonably well mown will solve the problem.

Lastly, Mimosa is not a long-lived tree. Although you hear of Mimosas that live twenty, thirty, even forty years, their span is more typically five to fifteen years. You are therefore likely to be faced with the necessity of cutting down a dead or dying Mimosa at some point or another--but given their brittle nature this is actually less trouble than it may sound.

Given the fact that Mimosa tends to volunteer and now and then appear where it is not wanted, a great many people tend to consider it akin to a weed. But if it is a weed, it is a remarkably beautiful one, and well worth the thought required in placement and the occasional bit of work involved.

I grew up in Alabama and my Aunt had 2 of these trees. I remember the humming birds that it attracted. I now live in the Metro Detroit area,(on the north side). We brought back a couple of small mimosa's from our last trip down to AL. I didn't think they could survive here, but since then I noticed that there is one growing in Ferndale, Michigan. It is a good size tree. I watched it during the winter and it is now blooming. I can't wait for mine to get bigger! This is going to be a real treat for me, and I know that it will attract a lot of attention from those who have never seen one!

I was wondering, if i baby this tree, will it grow in my 5a weather? we live sort of in a valley in iowa, and it seems like we aren't as cold as other places here. we have been to arkansas and south carolina and they have them there. when i first saw one i said i had to have it, but i didn't have time to dig it up. i've heard of people having it in zone 5b, like one person on here, and they said it grew good.

I need help--we planted a baby Mimosa (24" box) last summer. It immediately dropped all of its leaves. We left it in the ground, watered it, and checked to make sure trunk was still green and it made it through the winter. We were excited this spring to see small buds, but those have browned and fallen off. Trunk (and most branches) are still green when scratched. Any advice on how to get it going? It is a single-trunk with a high head, which I hear is unusual. Thanks!

I find that the long blooming beauty of the mimosa tree far out weighs any negatives in clean up. I have three 15 year old 25ft trees that just appeared in my garden. Two of them positioned themselves to make a perfect archway into a" room" area of my garden... I have throughly enjoyed them and marvel at there long blooming time....The other tree draped itself over a less than perfect outdoor shed adding beauty to that area of my three acre garden as well...... I have much more problems with the beautiful gigantic magnolia trees. Talk about mess.... I always say "If you knew what I knew" you would enjoy this tree in someones elses yard.....To each his own. I find that messiness goes along with the gardening and if you can't handle that part of it , you won't get much enjoyment out of the gardening experience.

I am creating a mimosa grove in my hummingbird garden with trees provided to me by friends. I got about 10 of the trees last year from a friend that raises cockatiels. The A. julibrissin had sprung up near her outdoor cockatiel cages and she wanted them removed because (she says) the seeds are poisonsous to her birds. I transplanted all these trees of various sizes from 2 ft to 6 ft bare root with no problem. This year, as leaves began to emerge, I cut off the limbs about 1/3 from the tip to encourage more branching (the trees tend to grow only one or two long, pendulous branches otherwise and may be the cause of reports above of branches snapping from too much weight). I stuck the pruned branch tips into the ground around the trees and many of the branches took root and are still growing. Our wet, humid conditions in NE Fla probably contributed to their survival.

I look forward to seeing an entire flowering canopy of the trees in some future year. Despite their problems with prolific spreading and flower and seed pod dropping, the wispy, tropical effect and exotic scent of the flowers seems worth the effort of controlling their bad habits.

Update: 06/08/06: Most of the mimosas I transplanted survived. Once established, they are fast growers. The first mimosa I planted about 3 years ago is now about 20 ft high and spreads out with a canopy of about 20 ft. It is blooming profusely this year -- the first year it has really been in full bloom.

Jeremy

This tree should not be planted in Florida. It is considered a category 1 invasive by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Mimosas are very invasive and often overrun abandoned fields. However the flowers are attractive and the trees provide a tropical look. Their growth habit is nice with really old specimens vaguely reminiscent of live oaks with the wide spreading branches. Seems to reach its largest size on river bottomlands. Mimosa is a bad choice to plant because of its tendency to self sow prolifically and mimosa wilt which is incurable and eventually kills the tree.

I bought my first home in the high desert, Palmdale, California, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles. There are four Mimosa trees in my front yard which I was told are 14 years old. These are definitely high action/drama trees! They are so large, however, I have been contemplating having them pruned as they just about obstruct the view of my two-story home.

I moved in in February, the dried "seed pod" stage. It is ALWAYS windy here, 40-50 mph at times, but those pods hung on tight and provided a wonderful rustling sound I'm looking forward to hearing again soon. These trees are never just boring, bald branches even in winter (well, except for my neighbor's, whose has truly died).

The flowers of four Mimosas were gorgeous in the summer. We even had a huge swarm of bees park for two days in the largest one. The trees were wonderful for shade during temperatures up to 110 degrees, but the lawn underneath did suffer. Mimosas must not be too picky about soil: Here they are obviously thriving in sandy/red clay dirt.

There are tons of pigeons where I live, who eat the seeds. When the flowers, leaves and pods do fall I must rake every day but there are long periods where all there is to do is enjoy the Mimosa's amazing "show."

I have many, many of these planted along the highway and road to my house. They are beautiful!

Last year, me n the new wife threw a shovel in the truck and dug up several more from along the roadside near here. We planted them and they too are growing nicely. I have seeds soaking now to plant this week in places I want to fill in along the hwy in front of our house.

I also planted several next door at my moma's house when I built it...we have a beautiful mimosa tree-lined road now!

They form a shady canopy along the drives and all bloom a beautiful pink thru the summer. Each of them have bird feeders and humming bird feeders hanging from them.

I collect sacks of seed pods to give my friends who also want them.

Kids love to climp mimosa trees and play with the seed pods.

I love this tree, my parent's have one in their backyard in carmichael california, but now that I live in Rochester Hill's michigan, I would to find out if I could grow one here, maybe dave knows. California

I wish this plant wasn't invasive in Florida and was native to the state because I really like the flowers of this tree. I think it looks really nice, even though it is on the EPPC Plant List One and is listed as invasive. *SIGH* But is it easy to grow?

I have three mimosa's going one is in to much shade but the other two are gorgeous..... I've never noticed "baby" mimosa's and recently created a hosta bed under my largest tree. I'm hoping some "babies" will start popping up I'd love to have more. It's unfortunate that this beautiful tree is so invasive in some areas..... maybe my zone 5 weather keeps it at bay - Lucky me..... I get the best of both that way......

I love the beauty of the this tree. My 30'+ tree is spectacular when it's blooming. The mess afterwards is spectacular as well. The flowers do stick to cars if they are not heavily waxed and they are difficult to get out of my rock garden, even with a pretty powerful blower. The flowers break up and are all over the place - tracked in the house and cars, all over the roof and jammed in the gutters. We have to sweep the roof before winter. In fact, we have to sweep 2 to 3 times a week to keep the driveway clean. Yesterday a good sized branch broke off and just missed my Miata, grazed the front but no damage. I have no trouble at all with seedlings or insects. Although this tree can be a pain, to sit in the window in the morning with my coffee and watch the hummingbirds, bees and butterflys flock to it is well worth the work!!! When it's in bloom there is nothing that can touch it for beauty. People walking and driving by always admire it. Of course, once out of earshot they probably sigh loudly and give thanks they don't have to clean up the mess. I hope mine lives beyond the average life span.....................................

This is the most beautiful tree in the world.

When I was growing up, everyone wanted one.

It has great qualities, is very exotic, easy to climb when large, beautiful flowers, lovely scent, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and lovely little old ladies adore it.

It is the BEST.

I can't even believe there is this much negativity.

My neighbors keep killing my yearlings in MY yard... I have never been able to get one past 7 feet and have grown that that high only to be cut down... in MY fenced yard.

I cry everytime and have warned them.
They also come over and chop the bottoms of my ivy and fauz grape vines on my fence. My back fence used to be covered with these lovely vines , but they don't like them so they clip them then I have to look at dead vines all entagled in my chain link fence. Otherwise they are good neighbors... they just don't like them and think they are helping keep weedy plants back.

Any suggestions without getting into a fight with neighbors I otherwise like?

I have told them this year I don't want them touched and I cry when they cut them back.

I get depressed and upset when they touch my stuff on my fence or in my yard. I am older and disabled, so they think they are helping.

HELP ME!

I LOVE MIMOSA'S

marra, as best I can remember that is simular in description to a misquite tree. As I have a #@$%^& mimosa, I can tell you the sprouts are many, but easy to pull. Incidentaly, misquite was not a prefered cooking wood, but often the only wood available to cook with.

Has anyone tried a pre-emergent? I spray my yard twice a year to stop the volunteers from growing. The spray does not allow seeds to germiate! I suggust you try it in your mimosa area.

OMG!! I hate the mimosa tree... I have one in my backyard when I moved into this house about 6 months ago... man, my whole back yard is covered with them now! I guess down here in Southeast Georgia they grow rampant. Who knew?
I want to get rid of them, it seems like I have about 40 little trees growing now, and I just dont have the energy to remove them. *sigh* Did I mention I hate the Mimosa tree?

I live in Va where the Mimosa tree is all over. I moved and had to clear land so I needed to plant a mimosa tree. I dug up some little sprouts from the side of a road and now they are about 1 ft tall and have yellow flowers on it. The flowers resemble the ones of buttercups. I have never seen this before. What species of mimosa is this? The leaves are identicle to the pink puff type. Also...when in Naples Fl, I found a form of mimosa with bright red-orange flower bunches. I found a sapling and took it home where it is growing nicely. Anyone know what type of mimosa that is?

If anyone wants to see a picture of the flowers let me know.

Kris

reply to [e-mail:Lymabean@msn.com]

We had one in our front yard when I was a child. I loved picking the seed pods off & pretendig they were vegetables.

The blooms were so delicate & dainty, tickling my nose when I sought to enjoy their fragrance. The blossoms, to me, smell like peaches.

I just saw this tree for the 1st time tonight & looked it up on the internet...that's how I came to this site. Just wanted to say that I saw it growing in Philadelphia, PA. It is spectacular looking & 15 feet tall.

People made comments about its thin "weak" trunk. As I was surfing the net, I found another tree: Kalkora Mimosa (Albizia kalkora) which looks very similar to the ALBIZZIA Julibrissin, but it has a thick trunk & oak-like rough bark. Just a suggestion for someone who would want a stronger looking tree.

I have a Mimosa tree in my yard, I live in central Pa. where we get pretty severe winters. I was told they don't do well in our area but I've had mine 15 years or more. I started it from a seedling I got from someone. It took several tries before I got one to take . I'm trying to start several more, One to take the place of mine when it dies(I'm told they only last about 20years) and several to give to people who request starters. I've had many positive comments on this tree. The flowers and the fragrance. The blossoms can be a nuisance on the sidewalk. The next one I will plant a place away from sidewalks or driveways.

The only hummingbird I've ever seen in my almost 50 years was while sitting on the throne on the second floor of our three story city home. We'd inherited a beautiful Mimosa tree which grew taller than the second story, in a very narrow side yard (

My next door neighbors have a mature Mimosa (probably 20 feet tall with a 30+ foot spread) just inside their property line. Unfortunately 3/4 of the tree leans over OUR driveway and past that to our front lawn. It has gotten to the point this summer that we cannot even park in our own driveway because the tree drops so many flowers. They stick like glue to the paint of our cars and are nearly impossible to wash off - they won't even fly off at 70 mph! DO NOT plant these trees anywhere near your driveway. We find old flowers under the hood and in the trunk of our cars, they get everywhere! They are killing our roses on the completely opposite side of the driveway, not from lack of sun but because the flowers drop off the tree and die on the rose foliage, killing the foliage. I try to pick them off as often as possible, however, that is like trying to stop a dam breaking by corking the hole with a toothpick.

We will be digging up about 10 volunteer Mimosa's this fall to give to our friends who love them. Mimosa's are much prettier when they aren't messing up my car and roses!

I'm sitting here typing and out the windows the hummers are getting their last meal of the day.
Our 25' Mimosa is loaded, both w/ blossoms and newly forming seed pods.

Nothing growing in the North is prettier than sunset backlighting these hundreds of blooms.

We get a ground die-back about every 5 years so we have a multi-stemmed trunk.
After each die-back the tree comes back stronger than ever.

i have to trim mine a lot, branches get heavy and want to bend to ground. Worth all it's trouble and mess!!!

I put neutral here because I have become resigned to the fearful mess my tree makes. It was planted in a patio area by people, us, who knew no better at the time. As a tiny seedling 25 years ago, it had been decapitated once by a horse and once by a child stacking wood. It has taken its revenge for these indignities by growing to massive proportions, cracking the patio in several places, and delivering tons of seasonal debris and billions of progeny. On the positive side, it and two of its children, located more auspiciously on the property, smell divine and are beloved of hummers and sphinx (I believe) moths. The shade is lovely and raking the debris to feed to the pygmy goats is healthy exercise. Hows that for pragmatism.

I can't bear to give this plant a negative rating even though it's weedy and invasive here in West KY. Mature specemins are quite lovely. Smaller ones pop up along roadsides, fence rows and fields.

Another negative is that my hay fever arrives as this plant blooms and my eyes will get scratchy and 'crummy' if I'm around one very long.

I have fond memories of playing beneath my Aunt Irma's gigantic one (50 feet) We took the little blooms and made ballerina skirts for paper dolls.

Here in Arkansas this plant is a pest. But I give it a positive. Just keep one or two in a place where you want them, and they're probably the most beautiful tree in the yard. The flowers are beautiful and have a wonderful scent. Butterflies and hummingbirds love the flowers. If they happen to take hold in your chain link fence, though, they're really hard to get rid of. The seedlings are all over the place and left to their own device, they become trees. If they're in the lawn, mow the rascals down. If they're in your flower bed, dig them up like a weed. As beautiful as this tree is, a little sure goes a long way.

I have one of these silk trees outside the kitchen window and it has grown to a large 8.5m. The tree has been attacked by borers and is rotting. Although the tree is rotting it is one of the most beautiful trees I have ever set eyes on. It's soft pink pom pom like blooms will make you drool with envy if you do not have on so go out and buy one as they are reasonably cheap. Definetly in Australia. Grow them only if they are not a weed in your area!!! I get plenty of volenteer seedlings and I usually pot them up and the ones I don't simply die because of the shade the tree gives. They are exteremly drought tolerant. A great one to try in Australia. pokerboy.

I love this tree. To me it is so elegant and whispy just really a pretty tree to have around. I especially like the fact that you can plant anything under it and have nice filtered sunlight...
The only problem I have seen with it in this area is the limbs are cut off by the Gurdling Beetle. So you have to keep it sprayed for them, otherwise it has been care free... :o)
Dee

Mimosas or "silk tree" (never heard that one) are very common here in South Georgia. I love my mimosa which is planted next to my driveway. It is the most beautiful tree in the neighborhood. I agree with other commentors that it attracts all types of birds and nectar-collecting insects. In January of 1986, this tree was a sucker from a wild tree growing on an imbankment next to the interstate. It was 18" tall with only one thin stalk. I cut the runner root with a shovel, dug a crude hole at the direction of my 5 year old daughter and within 5 years, the tree was large, blooming and wonderful.

The only negative for me is the flowers fall profusely and if you cannot sweep them off the driveway before it rains, they become a slippery, brown, mucky mat. This probably would not be a problem on a dirt drive. I was very surprised to learn recently that these trees are prone to disease. Mine is 18 1/2 years old. It requires no pruning as far as I am concerned except to remove dying or peeling limbs and those that hang over the street in the way of traffic.

The pods are wonderful to me because in the autumn breezes, they rattle and make a wonderful "raining" noise. I do not mind the fall of the pods as the dried ones crumble and decompose easily. I do, however, believe that the seeds might be poisonous so small children should be taught never to put the seeds in their mouths.

For those of you wanting to plant a mimosa, don't go to a nursery, just dig a small one up or have a friend send you some seeds. You won't regret it!

I live in southeastern Massachusetts where I bought my first house 10 years ago. Guess what the very first tree I planted was? Albizia julibrissin rosea of course as it is my absolute favorite tree. I have 7 now and it will be interesting to see how they fared after this year's brutally cold winter. I find these trees exotically beautiful, easy as pie to grow and even easier to propagate. I find that the best place to showcase the splendor and grace of this beauty is to plant in an open sunny location in average soil where they can be allowed to grow outward in all directions. Then you get that fantastic umbrella shape. I wait til spring to clean up fallen debris, by then the tiny leaves have composted into soil and just the little twigs are left to rake.Plant cannas, castor beans, and mallows in the same garden and you'll get a tropical getaway in your own back yard!

My folks and I live in Riverside, CA.

About 30 years ago, my folks bought a place with a couple mimosa trees in the front yard. Nice big canopies. Then my dad cut them down. They would have probably been dead by now if he hadn't. BUT..he's been kicking himself ever since for cutting them down. In the last 10 years...he's put in a jacaranda, which seems to have taken off quite well.

In my neck of the city, I see mimosas here and there. There's a house around the corner with a nice big mimosa growing in the front yard. Since I'm a bonsai enthusiast, I'd love to get my mitts on one..!!

They are prone to die-back and look very ugly when dead.

A weedy non-native. There's one across the street from our private road. Thus we have to make regular maintenance runs to get rid of the volunteers. They're tough to pull up, and mowing doesn't discourage them much. They also sprout in our woods. Some people call them Formosas. I wish people wouldn't let them grow. There are lots of alternatives to attract butterflies.

Just another non-native species that does not belong here. I spend a lot of time every year digging then up by the hundreds. They are nasty.

This is one of the most beautiful trees ever. It's a fast grower here in the south west. I just love it. I look at it all the time when out side. Very tropical looking. It protects my philodendrons my other favorite. Everyone should have one. Easy to start from seed. I've got seed.

In response to the question of these tree growing in Illinois, I have one in Paris, IL and there are many more in this area. I purchased mine on Ebay from a grower in SC and have had great results this year. It was dormant for about a month after arrival, but has now taken off! There are other mimosa's in my area that are over 10' tall, so these do grow in our zone.

Despite it's invasiveness--this exotic tree grows all along the highways in Northcentral Florida--I have super fond memories of this tree from my childhood in Gulfport, Mississippi. There was a huge specimen just down the street in the side yard of a retired President of a nearby girl's "Junior College," and as a child I remember afternoon tea parties this woman held for the neighborhood girls, with tea, lemonaid and cookies attractively spread out, and all of us sitting on colorful cushions on old white lawn furniture on a small patio under this gigantic mimosa tree. It's delicate, lacy shade was very welcome in the pre-airconditioned South of the 1950's. This tree took up most of the South facing side yard of her house, delicately shading the house all summer. It must have been 40 to 50 feet tall, had a large base, and had survived many wind storms and hurricanes just a block and a half from the Gulf of Mexico! I remember she had a large, attractive "cottage garden" in this side yard, so she must have been a good gardener, and she always sent us girls home with bouquets of flowers for our mothers.

June 13, 2004
The mimosas along the roadways here in Northcentral Florida have been spectacular this month--the prettiest that I have ever seen them. I live in a very rural area, and the mimosas seem to especially like to grow along fences, where they don't get mowed, and their branches arch and hang gracefully over the "no-man's land" between a fence and the highway. When they are in full bloom they are a delight for all traveler's eyes.

As far as mimosas not being "native," so what? "Native" is an arbitrary designation, for some imaginary event over 400 years ago. Plants travel, just like people do, and "ecosystems" aren't static--they evolve as conditions change. For instance, here in Northcentral Florida we are losing our dogwoods--they are retreating northward--as our warming winter climate has made our area too warm for them. The same will probably happen with our redbuds, and then more sub-tropical plants will move into our area to take their place. And if the climate becomes cooler again, these delightful small trees might come back, or something else will move in that likes the current conditions better.

I am part Cherokee Indian, and I know that the woodland tribes managed their forests and their gardens just as much as their technology allowed them to, so America wasn't "pristine wilderness" with only "native plants" before the Europeans came. All plants have a place, and as gardeners we just have to find the right places for them. Personally I find a plant that fixes nitrogen in the soil and produces spectacular flowers in the heat of summer that also attracts beautiful wildlife, AND provides quick shade for our homes and patios to be a blessing.

Another pesky, yet very beautiful noxious weed that we grow so well here in south Georgia..I'm guilty!..I have several that I have left around the yard, one is over 40 years old and has a huge spread( my MIL, planted it.)..Every year, I threaten to get rid of it, but just cannot do it. The blooms are so gorgeous..The seedlings each year will make you talk real ugly..LOL..
Larkie

My Mimosa is a door yard feature. It was planted on the south side of the house against a heated foundation wall or it would not survive our zone 5-6 winter temperatures.

To retain a diminutive size I pruned it back hard last fall. After a severe winter I was afraid that I might have killed it by pruning it too far back but in late May it bagan to show life. Today, six weeks later the new growth is 6-7 feet! And the new tree now has precisely the shape and height that I wanted.

There is still no evidence of flower buds but I am confident that they will soon arrive. The tree has always produced prolific flowering. I never felt a need for fertilizers or addional waterering.

The flower scent reminds me of exotic nutmeg which perfums the whole door yard. Mimosa's foliage is photo-sensitive and 'folds' at dusk. This allows more light into the garden from night time street lights. At dawn the foliage opens up to provide cool daytime shade.

I have not seen a single seedling in ten years but look forward to finding some.

All in all this is a very satisfying specimen tree.

I have two 8 year old Mimosa trees in my front yard and I love them. I have also had people admire the trees and ask for seedlings. I live in southwest Ohio along the Ohio River and do have a problem with hundreds of seedlings. I have started several trees for my friends. You can start them either from seed or from seedlings that have sprouted. If you start them from seed, the seed should be soaked in water for 24 hours then nicked on one end before planting. If you start them from sprouted seedlings, just pull them straight up from the ground they were started in and put them in a pot with potting soil. Keep them watered so that the soil is moist but not wet. I put mine in the shade until they are about a foot tall. The seedlings you select should not be very big (2-4 inches). The seedlings develop a very long tap root quickly and become hard to pull up and to replant. I hope this helps.

The mimosa grows wild all over Alabama. It can been seen routinely on highway right-a-ways. I planted seedlings in my backyard 12 years ago. They now reach up to 30ft in the air and provide exceptionally good shade. However, recently three of my 8-10 memosas suddenly lost thier leaves just as they bloomed. They have developed black (solid)spots of rather large demensions at various locations on the main trunk bark. Have I been lucky to get 12 years out of them? I may try trimming them back (in the fall when it is dry)to see if they will revive. They do make a mess in my yard, when the blooms and beans fall.

I just went to Branson and this tree was all over Missouri. The farthest north I noticed it was just on the west side of St. Louis along the I-44. I first noticed it at the Sheperd of the Hills Fish Hatchery. I commented on how pretty it was to my family. Not being a tree lover or any kind of gardener, my husband thought I was ridiculous when I insisted that he pull over so that I could break off a piece of the branch with flower and leaves to find out what kind of tree it is. A local told me the name.
None of the nurseries here in Peoria, IL carry the tree. They say it isn't hardy up here. I say that our winters cannot be much worse than St. Louis or Branson's. It was just as warm and humid there when I was visiting as it is here now. I found some trees on E-Bay. Do you think I should go for it??? I'm just in love with this tree!!! I've read everyone's comments and have room for it in my yard near the highway. I'm only worried about the fusarium wilt and someone's comments about fruit trees because I have a peach tree.

All of the color cultivars of Albizia grow in this area, and reseed freely, many appearing alongside highways - easily seen when in bloom with the various shades of light pink to red. Attractive to hummingbirds. They are, however susceptible to wilt and therefore often very shortlived, though my father had a mature tree probably over 50 years old on the farm where I grew up in Prince Georges Co, Maryland (U.S.) We eagerly watched each year for the hummingbirds to return to it.

My parents have some of these trees. They are nearly impossible to kill and grow like crazy. On the bright side, we cut one of them back right to its trunk and it didn't phase it a bit. It had a full size canopy the next spring. You'll want to watch out for those suckers, though. If you want a new sapling you'll have one asap. To give you an idea, there were a couple of suckers in the yard of my parents house that got away from my mother for a couple of seasons when she was dealing with cancer. Because they were already so large when she got back out to work with them, and because they had sprung up right where we had removed another tree, she decided to let them volunteer for the spot the old tree had left vacant. It's been around four years and they are now full fledged trees, with a trunk girth of around six inches.

We have always admired the mimosa during our trips to the coast, but short of digging up a seedling, we have had no luck in finding a nursery in this area that stocks them.

As the centerpiece of my front yard, I often have people doublepark in the street to comment on my BEAUTIFUL silk tree. My tree was planted in the summer of 1996 from a one gallon bucket and now is the "umbrella tree" that allows our neighbors and friends to enjoy a cool drink, shade, enchanting aroma and each others company all summer long! If anyone has had success with transplanting seedlings that just appear in the garden, I would love to hear about this. I have over 20 seedlings sprouting in my lower garden!!!

Ahhhh...Mimosas! Just the sight of one, or the delicious fragrance, takes me back immediately to the late 40's and the 50's, when EVERYONE had at least one Mimosa in their yard! They do great here in hot/dry Oklahoma, and you see 'em growing wild sometimes. I love the fern type leaves and the little pink puffy blossoms are simply devine to the eye and to the nose. They don't live long though, and tend to split, like Bradford Pear trees do, so I have to rate them "neutral" for that problem.

Also known as Silk Tree, Mimosa is fast growing, deciduous, but short lived (10 - 20 years) and the ferny compound leaves are huge (12 - 18 inches). It's natural range is from Iran to Japan in dry mountain woodlands. It leafs out late (often as late as July) and sheds early. The small leaflets disappear into the grass or flower beds.

It loves heat and dry summers. Be sure site is well drained. Drought tolerant, the wood is weak and brittle, developing 'V' rather than 'U' crotches, if over watered.

Fusarium wilt can be quite a problem and is fatal. It can spread to adjacent Mimosa trees by root contact. Do not prune during wet season. Alway sterilize pruning tools. Make clean, water shedding cuts and treat with broad spectrum fungicide. NEVER USE A PRUNING SEALER COMPOUND!

The tree is widely planted in Seattle area, where summers are nearly rainless. I have the variety 'Rosea' with deep pink flowers that attract hummingbirds from miles around. The tree is glorious viewed from above.

The Mimosa is very susceptible to a vascular wilt disease. I've read that the cultivar 'Charlotte' is resistant, although I haven't been able to locate this cultivar yet.

My Mimosa tree grew very tall and was beautiful. It bloomed beautifully for several years. This year my tree turned green and died. The green bark peels off.

My grandmother always had a Mimosa in her back yard in Louisville KY. She never had any trouble with the 40ft tree. Occasionally there would be volunteers to pull up or cut down. The farther north you are, the less trouble with volunteers there is. Fewer seeds survive the colder winters and therefore fewer sprout ;)
I can see where they could be a problem if you had hundreds of them. However I would do the extra work just to have one of these wonderful trees. In fact, I'm just now starting my own from seed. Wish me luck!

They are messy, dropping flowers and dried pods for months, but they are attractive in bloom and form and the flowers smell good.

As far as I know, they are not invasive in southern California. "Mimosa" is the common name I hear used here.

They are prone to heart rot. Our tree had been severely cut back by previous owners and is now completely rotted out in the center. Otherwise, the tree is healthy and holds up fine to our annual 50+ mph wind gusts.

Addendum, June 25, 2003: The tree held up to 50+ mph wind gusts, but last night, in the dead calm, one of the trunks broke off.

In Alabama the mimosa is considered an invasive alien and a pest!
Linda in Alabama

I love this "Dr. Seuss" like tree! The things grow wild all over Georgia and I love driving in the summer trying to spot them along the highway. Five summers ago my husband and I found two wild trees and planted them in the yard of our house being built. They have grown almost 8 feet tall despite our labrador chewing the largest off about a foot from the ground the first year. They continue to thrive despite our cutting back the long arching limbs each year, but they never get pink flowers. They are still beautiful but I keep hoping for the Dr. Seuss flowers each year. Miracle grow, tree food and scolding aren't getting me flowers. Any suggestions or do I just have flower-challenged mimosas?

I transplanted a volunteer seedling about 12 years ago at my home in Missouri. We are zone 5 where mimosa can suffer and die back, but mine did very well on the East side of my home, nearby the driveway. I love the tree which grew quickly, bloomed in only a few years and which blooms nearly 2 months each summer. Both the hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies flock to it and the scent is wonderful.

However, I would never recommend it nearby ones home. The seeds actually accumulate in the tracks of my sliding door. The volunteers come up in every flower bed and the cracks of the sidewalks by the hundreds, and each must be cut down repeatedly if not uprooted.

It is a gorgeous parent tree. I prune it both spring and fall to keep it in bounds, though I have read they do not take to pruning. Now in maturity, there has been wind breakage. I plan to do a more severe pruning to bring it back down to size, which may destroy it. I could recommend it only on large lots away from any garden beds. The seedlings are more aggressive, even, than our maples or cottonwoods in this area.

I obtained a silk tree from a nursery. The tree had been trained to have a long trunk (about 5 feet) with branches at the top. This spring as the leaves started to grow, the weight caused the trunk to bend (the tree was upside down after a rainy, windy night).

I tied a 2x4 to the trunk to keep it straight, at about 5 different spots. I didn't have to dig a hole or anything (and disturb the roots), I just cut the board to just fit between the roots and the first branches. This is something they didn't warn me at the nursery, a skinny trunk and huge growth at the top!

Its a beautiful tree. At the end of this summer the branches have grown enough to create a nice canopy. Next year I expect it to really bush out.

This is the most wonderful tree in my garden. I got three little seedlings in '92 and planted them together. I seem to be the only person who grows it here in Germany. It is hardy in winter time and if it grows too big I can cut it and it still will grow nicely. People stop by attracted by its beauty and fragrance and ask for cuttings and seedlings. I tried that myself but never got a positive result. Though there are many seed pots and I put them out at different times it never worked out.

I love this tree. Here in the mountains of North Carolina (U.S.), it blooms for such a long time, 6 weeks to 2 months. Yes the hummingbirds do love it.

The reason it is short-lived is because it contracts a fungus that is deadly. Mimosa is not native, I think it comes from Japan and this fungus does not exist there so it has no immunity.

There used to be a wide road in Savannah called Habersham (or perhaps Abercormbe) that had a wide median. It had 2 rows of Mimosa all the way down it for many blocks. It was a glorious sight; the trees arched out over the pavement so it was a cool, pink tunnel when in bloom. Then all of a sudden, one year, they ALL died! But that impression is still burned in my brain.

Butterflies simply LOVE these blooms! When mine bloom, you can see butterflies all over the blooms ~ quite a sight for "flying flower" fans. It's an especially nice sight when there's a light wind blowing and the canopy moves like a pink and green sea with the butterflies riding the waves.

I think the "weed tree" status of this tree is very undeserved. I don't find my two 30+ year old trees to be weak-wooded. The hackberries and pecans drop MANY more limbs than the mimosas during our violent thunderstorms. Same for the supposed messiness ~ Mom parks her car under it and hasn't complained once. Of course this is dry Texas ~ by the time the blooms fall to the cars, they are light little puffballs that blow right off instead of being wet and sticking. The dryness here may also account for the lack of seedlings. I've never seen any anywhere on this hundred acres except one that got started down by the creek in full shade. It's thriving despite the lack of sun and wet conditions.

I love this tree!!

One of the weediest plants I know of. Seedlings come up by the millions. Rumored to live only 15 years but one of mine is over 20 with a 60' spread. Unrivaled in bloom, fuzzy pink fragrant flowers attract hummingbirds. Spent flowers and seed pods make huge mess, especially after rain. Flowers stick to cars like glue. Often becomes lopsided. Form is variable. As a legume, it fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere; plants below the tree seem to benefit from this. Not recommended for most landscape situations. I would not have mine if it weren't for its age and rare perfect multistem shape.

Often called "Mimosa", but don't mistake it for Acacia, which shares the same common name and family, but has white or yellow flowers.

A. julibrissin is, according to the books, a fast-growing, weak-wooded tree. The pink, feathery flowers appear in mid-summer, atop finely divided foliage that resembles the houseplant "Sensitive Plant" (Mimosa pudica, which is - not surprisingly - a member of the same family.) Regular water will promote fast growth; if drought conditions are present, the tree may grow slowly and look yellowish.

The seed pods which form after blooming are messy; do not plant this tree near sidewalks or driveways (that's the voice of personal experience talking.)

On the positive side, having a tree that blooms in summer is a nice, tropical-feeling change of pace for those of us in non-tropical zones. Several years ago, we rented a house with several Mimosa trees, which fascinated a young neighbor boy - he called them our "feather trees".