As beautiful as they are, some gardeners don't want to have mimosa trees in their garden. But you know who does love these deciduous trees? Hummingbirds. If you've ever had one growing in your yard, you might know why some gardeners or homeowners find them so frustrating, as pretty as they are. If you haven't, let's take a closer look at mimosa trees.
?What is a Mimosa Tree?
A mimosa tree is one of the names for the Albizia julibrissin in the United States. It's also known as the Persian silk tree and pink siris. "It is also called Lenkoran acacia or bastard tamarind, though it is not too closely related to either genus," Wikipedia notes.
"The species is called Chinese silk tree, silk tree or mimosa in the United States, which is misleading," the site goes on to report. "The former can refer to any species of Albizia which is most common in any one locale; and, although once included in Mimosa, neither is it very close to the Mimoseae."
Hummingbird Ring Feeder
Mimosa trees have light to deep pink flower clusters and fern-like foliage and are originally from China and Southwestern and Eastern Asia. These trees like heat and humidity, are drought-tolerant and can tolerate anything from full sun to partial shade. And hummingbirds love them!
They grow from seed pods and germinate quickly. As a fast-growing tree, the mimosa can't be beat. The growth rate of the tree is incredibly fast and can gain as much as 5 feet in a growing season, according to the Tree Center.
Mimosa trees are a popular landscaping tree in Florida as a showy, flowering tree, though they do grow in other places, particularly in the south, like Texas.
Why Don't Some Gardeners Like Mimosa Trees?
As beautiful as these ornamental trees are, they are also an extremely invasive species in the United States. The invasive plants sometimes displace native plants, and they're very hard to get rid of once their root system takes hold in your yard.
But if you don't mind dealing with a ton of new growth from the pods, don't have a ton of other plants that will be disturbed by these trees, and you like the look of mimosa trees, they're a great plant to consider if you want a fast-growing, gorgeous tree for your garden. And the hummingbirds will thank you!
