Mimosa Tree

Though originally found in southern and eastern Asia, the mimosa tree has been imported to parts of the USA for its marvellous appearance. For many years an appreciated ornamental tree, the mimosa tree has begun to show some less marvellous traits. As it is a fast grower, produces plenty of seeds and could get a foothold in almost any soil the mimosa tree has been classified as invasive in some American states. It can also be hard to get rid of since the mimosa tree is a fast healer that would even survive to be cut down as new branches will start to grow out of the stub. In gardens it is not a very big problem but as the mimosa tree has spread into the wild it has begun to conquer new ground, changing the entire ecosystem in some areas. Now that is a mimosa tree problem.

Although the mimosa tree almost always is planted as an ornamental tree it does have some other properties hidden inside it. As mentioned earlier the mimosa tree is an excellent food resource for honeybees, making excellent honey. The seeds inside the pods can be used as food for livestock and the bark of the beautiful mimosa tree can even be ground up and used to cure bruises. The bark is also a natural vermicide if used correctly.

Although the term mimosa tree is of common use in the USA it is actually wrong as the mimosa tree is not even a member of the mimosa genus. The real name of the mimosa tree is Albizia julibrissin but it is also referred to as Persian Silk Tree, Pink Siris, Bastard Tamarind or Nemu tree. In some cultures the tree is simply called the sleeping tree because of its special appearance mentioned earlier. To really make the name confusing there are some other trees of the Acacia genus that also is referred to as mimosa trees. So be sure the people around you know what you are talking about when mentioning the mimosa tree.