Flower of the Week: Mimosa Tree

The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) is a small deciduous tree that originated in Asia. It is distributed in a large area spanning from Iran and Azerbaijan in the west to China and Korea in the east. The trees were introduced to America in 1745 as ornamental plants, and soon found a home in the American South.

The mimosa tree is an ornamental plant with obvious pros and cons. It can tolerate barren soils, has unique and pretty flowers and leaves, looks gorgeous, and survives effortlessly. However, the branches are fragile and break easily. The tree requires frequent pruning and the fallen flowers are hard to clean up.

What’s more, there is another serious problem with mimosa trees: their reproductive rate via seed propagation is too fast. When confined within their original habitat, this simply adds to the weeding workload, but when the tree spread to America and other non-original habitats, its alarming reproductive rate made it a potentially dangerous invasive species.

"Mimosa Tree" or "Silk Tree"?

The mimosa tree’s leaves are pinnate and compound, quite similar to those of mimosa pudica’s, and they also close up at night and in the rain. This gave it the English name “mimosa tree”, despite the fact that it’s not a member of the Mimosa genus at all.

Real Mimosa pudica

But the most characteristic feature of its look is the blossoming flowers. At a glance, mimosa tree flowers resemble a big, fluffy piece of a down feather. When blooming in clusters, they look like red clouds and emit a delightful fragrance. Take a closer look, and you will find the flowers consist of bunches of gradient pink filaments. These are of course not the petals, but the stamina. Because of them, the mimosa tree is also often called the “silk tree”.

Want Something to Drink?

It might not have occurred to you that the two names of this plant refer to two drinks.

If you are a frequent bar patron, seeing the name “mimosa tree” likely reminds you of a cocktail called “mimosa”. It’s a cocktail invented in France, at Hôtel Ritz Paris in 1925, as the story goes. Mimosa, considered the perfect morning cocktail, is made from blending equal shares of champagne and freshly-squeezed orange juice. Some bartenders may add a little Triple Sec or Grand Marnier to the glass. The orange juice is there to guarantee your vitamin ingestion, while the bubbly champagne marks the start of a splendid day.

Of course, the name of the cocktail has not much to do with either the mimosa tree or mimosa pudica. The name was inspired by another leguminous plant called “mimosa” – Acacia dealbata, which is originally from Australia. Unlike the mimosa tree or mimosa pudica, Acacia dealbata’s velvet flowers are bright yellow. Rumor has it that the cocktail was so named because of its exactly identical color with that of Acacia dealbata’s flowers.

Acacia dealbata‘s flowers

“Silk tree”, on the other hand, is a distilled, alcohol-free beverage from Ireland. The famed BBC Good Food magazine once published a critical commentary recommending the best alcohol-free beverages in the world, and not surprisingly, this drink is on that list. The critic even said it outright, stating: “This was the best of the botanical drinks I tried.”

The ingredients of this drink, besides the secret spice recipe, include lemon peels and small berries. Take a sip and you can detect the obvious fragrances of cinnamon and orange peels in rich layers and a lingering note. It’s best to drink it with blended tonic water for a harmonious and delicious taste. It’s widely popular in Great Britain and Ireland.

Can I Grow Mimosa Tree Well?

Mimosa trees like warm, moist, and sun-filled environments. They’re quite adaptable to various climates and soils. They like soil with good drainage and can endure barrenness and drought, but aren’t very tolerant of waterlogging. They grow rapidly.

People usually plant mimosa tree seedlings in the spring. Mimosa trees like acidic soil, so mixing peat soil or leaf compost in the planting pit beforehand can improve the soil performance. Adult mimosa trees are rather drought-enduring. Therefore, in an area with normal precipitation, mimosa trees need almost no additional watering once a 2-inch-thick organic mulch is covering their bases.

Like many other leguminous plants, mimosa trees have a good nitrogen-fixing capacity. Therefore, they don’t require much fertilization. One application of compost in early spring will be sufficient to last a year. However, in dry weather, its branches could embrittle and break easily, and are likely to attract pests, too. Hence, broken and pest-infested branches need to be pruned off quickly.

Mimosa tree seeds have a high survival rate. They can be sown for propagation after soaking in warm water. The tree can also reproduce via cutting, using branches or the adventitious buds sprouting from the roots. Because of its strong reproductive capability, it’s considered an invasive species in some Southern US regions. Please consult local authorities before planting this tree.

Size: 5-12 m in height, 4-5 m in the spread

Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 6-9

Light duration: Full sun

Soil: well-drained soil, sandy, loam or chalk

Bloom time: Summer to early fall