What Does a Mimosa Tree Look Like?

Mimosa trees are graceful trees with feathery leaves arranged like miniature palm fronds. Their tiny leaves close like hands when touched--even by the rain--and their pink, red or yellow flowers are composed of thousands of individual rays like fireworks.

Basics

Mimosa trees grow to their full height of 30 to 40 feet quickly, but they are also short-lived. The average lifespan is 20 to 25 years.

Geography

Mimosa trees are hardy from zones 6 to 10. They currently grow throughout the Southeast United States and as far north as New Jersey, but they are native from Iran to Japan.

Names

The Mimosa tree is also known as the "Silk Tree" and "Pink Siris." The scientific name is Albizia julibrissin.

Warning

Mimosa trees are prolific self-seeders and are considered to be an invasive nuisance and have been put on the "Least Wanted" list by the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group.

Seeds

Mimosa seeds form in flat green pods that are quite similar in appearance to snow pea pods. The mature pods are a grayish-brown and the seeds inside are dark brown.

Fun Fact

According to the Plant Conservation Alliance, "One study showed that 90 percent of the seeds were viable after 5 years and, for another species of mimosa, a third of its seeds germinated after 50 years in open storage. "

References

• Silk Tree
• Plant Files: Silk Tree, Mimosa Tree, Pink Siris