These Are the Plants I Know

A Tree and Shrub Reference by Heather Scott

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  • All
  • Type
    • Deciduous
    • Coniferous
    • Evergreen
    • Tree
    • Shrub
    • Climber
    • Ground Cover
    • Herbaceous
  • Leaf Arrangement
    • Alternate Arrangement
    • Opposite Arrangement
    • Subopposite Arrangement
    • Spiral Arrangement
    • Whorled Arrangement
  • Leaf Type
    • Simple
    • Compound
    • Needle-like
  • Zone
    • Zone 3
    • Zone 4
    • Zone 5
    • Zone 6
    • Zone 7
    • Zone 8
  • List
    • List 1
    • List 2
    • List 3
    • List 4
    • List 5
    • List 6
    • List 7
    • List 8
    • List 9
    • List 10
    • List 11
    • List 12

Albizia julibrissin

Alternate Arrangement, Compound, Deciduous, Fabaceae, List 2, Tree, Zone 6

Family: Fabaceae

Common Name: Mimosa, silk tree

Origin/Ecology: Native from Iran to Japan

Habit: Fast-growing, small to medium sized, deciduous tree that typically grows in a vase shape to 20-40′ tall with a spreading, often umbrella-like crown.

Leaves: Bipinnately compound dark green leaves, to 20″ long. Each leaf has 10-25 pinnae, with each pinnae having 40-60 tiny leaflets (to 1/4″ long). Leaves have a fern-like appearance. Sensitive leaflets close up when touched and at night. Leaflets fall to the ground after frost, producing no fall colour.

Leaf Arrangement: Alternate

Flowers and Fruit: Fluffy, pink, powder puff flowerheads cover the tree with a long summer bloom. Flowers are fragrant and attractive to bees. Flat bean-like seed pods, up to 7″ long, persist into winter.

Bark: Not noteworthy

Water Use, Soil: Grown in average, medium moisture, well drained soils. Prefers rich, light soils. Tolerates a wide range of soils, however, including poor ones. Tolerates alkaline conditions. Tolerates drought but best growth occurs with regular watering.

Exposure: Full sun to light shade. Thrives in high summer heat.

Landscape Uses: Attractive but inferior landscape tree. May be used as an accent in areas where soils are poor or alkaline. Avoid planting in areas where wilt is a problem.

Limitations: Wilt is a serious problem in many areas. Also susceptible to mimosa web worm. Self-seeding can produce numerous seedlings. Weak wooded limbs are susceptible to damage from strong winds and ice/snow.

Other Features: Tolerates deer and drought. Flowers also attract butterflies.

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