Mimosa Tree

The mimosa tree (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 between 20-40 feet at its mature height, with a spread of 20-25 feet.

The Mimosa Tree Has Fern-Like Leaves

They grow rapidly, especially in conditions of full sun. This graceful, ornamental tree is chosen by many for its beautiful leaves, flowers, and scent. The tree has 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 which bloom on the tree 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 the tree its nickname: the silk tree. The scent of the blossoms is sweet and strong and tends to attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies.

Even the fruit of the tree is pretty, with long brown seed pods appearing after blossom time and sometimes lasting into the winter.

The 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 in drought conditions, they spread easily and well via their seeds, which are carried by wildlife and water. They are also known for making a comeback when they have been cut back. The trees 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 a height of only about ten feet, looking more like a shrub than a tree.