The mimosa tree or albizia julibrissin, grows best in hardiness zones 6-10. With its ability to adapt and grow in many different types of soil, it can reach a mature height of 20-40 feet and a spread of 20-25 feet.
The Mimosa Tree Has Fern-Like Leaves
They grow rapidly, especially in full sun. This graceful, ornamental type is chosen by many for its beautiful leaves, flowers, and scent. They have particularly lovely fern-like leaves. They are bi-pinnate compound leaves, growing in pairs of 20 to 30 leaflets on each branch. Their rich green color is a nice contrast to the bright pink flowers that bloom on them between May and July.
The Mimosa Tree Has Puffy Pink Blooms
The flowers have a unique appearance. The blooms look like pom-poms or powder puffs, and the thin threads of the blossom make them fluffy and light in both appearance and touch. The feel of the flowers has provided its nickname: the silk Mimosa tree. The scent of the blossoms is sweet and robust and tends to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Even the fruit is pretty, with long brown seed pods appearing after blossom time and sometimes lasting into the winter.
Mimosa Tree Is Easy To Grow
It was originally native to China but has been grown and cultivated in North America since the 1700s. In addition to adapting well to various soils and being relatively tolerant of drought conditions, it spreads quickly and well via its seeds, which are carried by wildlife and water. It is also known for making a comeback when it has been cut back. They will often re-sprout quickly and have been known to grow in contaminated or less-than-ideal soil conditions.
Although the mimosa tree grows best in zones 6-10, it has been spotted from time to time in warm pockets of zone five. However, in those conditions, it tends to grow shorter, to only about ten feet, looking more like a shrub.