Mimosa (Invasive Plants of Maryland)

Mimosa

Albizia julibrissin

Summary ⁶

Albizia julibrissin (Persian silk tree, pink silk tree) is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae, native to southwestern and eastern Asia.

Description ⁷

A medium sized tree with dark-grey bark, young parts with yellowish brown hairs. Leaves alternate, bipinnate, rachis c. 10-25 cm long having a large gland, c. 1-2.5 cm from the base; stipules 7-8 mm long, linear, caducous. Pinnae 4-15 pairs more or less sessile, 7-15 cm long; leaflets 10-30 pairs, 12-18 mm long, c. 3-7 mm wide, falcate-oblong, oblique, hairy on both the sides, acute. Inflorescence peduncled heads, solitary, or in fascicle of 2-3 arranged in terminal raceme. Pedun¬cle 3.5-7 cm long, bract c. 3-6 mm long, linear. Pedicel c. 1-2 mm long. Calyx c. 3-4 mm long, tubular, velvety or not, short toothed, triangular. Corolla 7-8 mm long hairy outside, lobes c. 2-3 mm, lanceolate, acute. Stamens 2.5-3.2 cm long staminal tubes as long as the corolla tube. Pod c. 7.5-12.5 cm long, c. 1.5-2.5 cm broad, hairy till maturation, pale brown or yellowish. Seeds 8-12.

Invasive species ⁸

In the wild, the tree tends to grow in dry plains, sandy valleys, and uplands. It has become an invasive species in Japan; and in the United States it has spread from southern New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, west to Missouri and Illinois, and south to Florida and Texas. It is cultivated in California and Oregon. Its seeds are numerous and they are fertile even over long periods of drought. Each pod, which resemble a flattened bean pod made of paper, contains an average of 8 seeds. The pods burst in strong winds, and the seeds carry over surprisingly long distances.

Breeding work is currently under way in the United States to produce ornamental plants which will not set seed and can therefore be planted without risk. However, in the eastern United States it is generally a short-lived tree, being highly susceptible to mimosa vascular wilt, a fungal disease caused by a species of Fusarium, though the disease does not seem to have seriously impacted its populations. Because of its invasive tendencies and disease susceptibility, it is rarely recommended as an ornamental plant in the US, though it is still widely planted in parts of Europe.

Ecological threat in the united states ⁹

Because silk tree can grow in a variety of soils, produce large seed crops, and resprout when damaged, it is a strong competitor to native trees and shrubs in open areas or forest edges. Dense stands of mimosa severely reduce the sunlight and nutrients available for other plants.

Sources and Credits

(c) Martin LaBar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/32454422@N00/3824018
(c) Fanghong, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/AlbizziaJulibrissin3.jpg
(c) Fanghong, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/AlbizziaJulibrissinFlower2.jpg
AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/20130905Albizia_julibrissin1.jpg
(c) Sam Kieschnick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Sam Kieschnick
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin
Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/4969645
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22948491

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Flower color	pink

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Mimosa

Summary 6

Description 7

Invasive species 8

Ecological threat in the united states 9