Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Mimosa

Q. In Georgia, every summer we've been here, I have admired the mimosa trees which grow on the side of highways and/or as ornamental trees. I recently took a seed pod from one of the trees and would like to start it. Is there something special I need to do - or just remove the individual seeds from the pod and plant in starter medium?

A. Mimosa is so beautiful. I loved them in Ohio when I was a child. Propagate from seed although summer cuttings are also practical. Soak seeds during one day: place in a pot 3-4" in diameter filled with a light propagation mix including perlite, and then transfer to pots of 6" when the plant develops, or directly 3 seedlings in a pot of 6". The best seedling is selected when the plant reached approximately 5-6". One may cover the plant to maintain a humidity sufficient in the pot.

Once you have the seeds out of the pod, you will notice the hard shell. Be aware that the seeds need to germinate this way: cover the seeds with very hot water and let soak overnight or until they swell. Pick out those that didn't swell and repeat this process with them. Sow swollen seeds immediately in seeding mix, covering with two to three times their thickness. Do not over water or allow to dry out and provide good drainage and bright light.

Seeds should germinate within 4-7 days with this pretreatment. Do not overwater the pots and keep humidity low or fungal problems may occur.

These plants prefer full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Water well during the growing period, and sparingly in winter.

Member Becky writes~
My parents planted a mimosa tree in our yard (Cleveland) when I was little and I just loved it. The leaves that folded up at night, and those beautiful pink flowers kept me captivated! They brought it back from either Florida or Oklahoma and it didn't last long-maybe a year or two? Just wondered if I would be able to have one in Cleveland, OH. If so, where could I get one and how should it be treated once planted? Does it need shade or sun? If not, are there any other trees/bushes/plants that offer the same type of pink flower that could be planted here?

A. Mimosa is a beautiful plant I have known for years, as the sensitive plant, due to the leaf curling as you mentioned. One of nature's protective responses! It is a tropical plant and will not survive where temperatures drop down below 50F, let alone freezing and snow.

This is a shrubby plant from Brazil, India and Ecuador that belongs to the Pea family, Leguminosae. There are numerous kinds, but only a few are in cultivation in North America. This plant has prickly stems and finely divided leaves. Its flowers are produced in little fluffy balls that are usually pink or purple. These plants are known as the Sensitive Plant because its leaflets fold up when they're touched or blown by the wind. They close up in pairs beginning at the top until they reach the base of the leafstalk, when the whole leaf drops as if it's on a hinge.

Mimosa pudica is best treated as an annual. A compost of equal parts loam, peat, leaf mold and sand is used. When you repot, the balls of soil must be kept undisturbed. After repotting, they should be shaded and kept in a humid atmosphere. No water is applied to the soil until it becomes fairly dry, then it's saturated and kept moist throughout the summer. When they're established in 4-inch pots, they should be kept in a well-ventilated sunny greenhouse for the remainder of the summer; afterwards they are thrown out, because they are not easy to keep alive during the winter. Most failures with the cultivation of Mimosas are due to overwatering. It will cause the roots to decay quickly.

M. speggazzinii forms a low shrub that can be kept for many years. It's raised and treated the same way M. pudica is, except it can be lifted in the fall and kept in a greenhouse instead of being discarded. The minimum temperature should be 55F and the soil should become fairly dry before watering. In early March, the shoot M. pudica is propagated best with seeds that are sown in March in a compost of equal parts of peat moss and sand, or in sandy soil. Two-inch pots are used; these should be half-filled with crocks, which are then covered with a small amount of rough leaves or fiber. Fill the pots up with the compost and plant three seeds in each pot. After the soil is moistened, the pots are packed close together in a box on a layer of damp moss. Cover the box with a pane of glass and set in a greenhouse with a minimum temperature of 55 degrees. M. speggazzinii and other perennials can also be increased with cuttings taken in the spring. The side shoots, with a "heel" ( a piece of the old branch still attached), can be taken when they're 2 inches long. Remove some of the lower leaves and smooth the "heel" with a sharp knife. Insert the cuttings in a propagating case having a bottom heat of 75F. When they've formed roots, pot and treat them as advised for seedlings.

Assistance from: www.botany.com

Member Joan Roberts writes~
I have a Mimosa bush that is just beginning to shed its seed pods. If Member Becky wants any, let me know and will be glad to send them to her. I live in Massachusetts and my bush was mowed down the first 3 years I had it. Young kid doing my lawn was responsible. Walled around it, got a new person to mow, and now - about 8 years later - it is almost as tall as my 2 story house. I would be only too glad to share the seeds from this beautiful bush.

John writes~
I have Mimosa pudica but I'm looking for a perennial Mimosa. I'm wondering if anyone can help me to find seeds.

A. Sure hope so. Here are some places to check for the perennial Mimosa, which sell seeds:

Reid Lewis - Native Texas Plants - Seeds
All seeds are from native Texas ... Erythrina herbacea. Coral-bean.
Perennial. McLennan. 65. Hesperaloe parviflora. ... Deciduous. Bell. 67. Mimosa borealis.
www.vvm.com/~reid/seeds.htm

Ethnobotanical Seeds and Plants MP: Gnostic Garden
Mimosa - 5 g seeds 2.00. Mirabilis multiflora
so'ksi, so'kya (Nyctaginaceae) The roots of this perennial bush...
www.gnosticgarden.com/seeds4.htm

BidVille Auctions
ALBIZIA (mimosa trees) Mixed Species Seeds. Perennial Mimosa Tree alias Silk Tree Seeds...A beautiful tree! www.bidville.com/listings/index.cfm?category=3656
www.bidville.com/listings/index.cfm?category=3660

Exotic Tropical Seeds 
Plant grows as a perennial in the tropics.
www.greendealer-exotic-seeds.com/seeds/SensitivePlant.html

Tender treelet. Seeds Mimosa verrucosa. Juream Branca (white jurema divination. Half-hardy, tuberous perennial. Seeds.
abbey.yage.net/plantsM.htm

Tradewinds Tropical Seeds from AZ
Beautiful, always desirable mimosa with delicate foliage; bright light. The seeds are very short lived. It is a perennial herb with creeping root.
www.abonline.com/products/seeds_a.htm

Seeds of Texas Seed Exchange Members' Seed List
Bushy, drought-tolerant perennial shrub (3 to 6 feet, moisture-loving shrubs with mimosa-like foliage, turn to tightly constricted between rounded seeds.
csf.colorado.edu/perma/stse/seedlist.htm

Prairie Mimosa. Leguminosae.
Hardy perennial shrub. Seeds
abbey.yage.net/plantsD.htm

Janet writes~ I am looking for mimosa trees to plant in Illinois. My local nurseries tell me they are hard to find around here. Can you please help me? If you can, please advise of cost and shipping to Illinois.

A. Try this company. I am not sure if they can help:

Mimosa P.O. Box 428 Barrington, IL 60011-0428
847.698.1700
773.794.9774

www.primescapeproducts.com/distributorsIL.htm

Vicki writes~
I thought I would tell you about my mimosa tree. We have had this place for 7 years and my tree was about demolished when a storm dropped another tree on it. Well, it not only survived and grew back it is thriving! Since we live in Yates Center, Kansas and the winters always fall below 50 degrees I guess I must have a special mimosa tree because it even survived a terrible ice storm here about three years ago. We love the blooms and their fragrance. I was very glad to see the information on growing them from seed pods. You have a great site with a lot of good information.

A. Thank you very much! Mimosa can be hardy, one never knows. Here is some good information from North Carolina State University:

Scientific Name: Albizia kalkora
Common Name: Kalkora mimosa
Hardiness Zones: 7-8
Habit: Deciduous
Growth Rate: Rapid
Site Requirements: Sun; well drained soil
Texture: Medium to fine
Form: Vase; flat topped spreading
Height: 30 to 50'
Width: 25 to 35'
Leaf: 15 to 20" alternate, bipinnately, compound leaves
Flower/Fruit: Yellowish white flowers with pink stamens on long stalks; flat brown seed pod

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort