Where Can I Buy a Mimosa Tree Near Me

In police television dramas, officers routinely issue BOLO's to alert their fellow officers in law enforcement that there is a criminal on the loose. BOLO a catchy acronym for 'be on the lookout', and will include pertinent details of the suspect such as physical description, suspected criminal activity, and last seen location. In real life as an arborist, I do not deal with bad guys, but I do have a fair number of bad trees to contend with. One of these is the mimosa, and this is my BOLO to homeowners to make them aware of just how naughty these trees are.

Native to Asia, the mimosa tree was introduced to the United States in 1745 as an ornamental species. This is not surprising, as the tree does produce an abundance of fragrant pink powderpuff blooms that are eye-catching, as is the foliage, which consists of a central leaf stem with many fine-textured leaflets emerging from both sides, giving the tree a lacy fernlike appearance.

The blooms have the potential to benefit wildlife, as they attract and are a nectar source for hummingbirds and insect pollinators. However, this is where any redeeming characteristics for mimosas end.

With the quantities of flowers and successful attraction of pollinators, the production of seed is copious. As the blooms fade and disappear, thousands of green seed pods, which will gradually turn brown and papery, are generated throughout the canopy. Inside each pod are five to 10 seeds that feature a phenomenally tough outer covering that will protect the inner seed until environmental conditions are ripe for germination. Ninety percent viability has been proven in seeds that were 5 years old.

Mimosas are tolerant of a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions. They can handle soil that is wet or dry, acidic or alkaline; compaction, salt spray, and nutrient deficient soils are no problem either.

Gaining up to three feet of growth annually, mimosa trees are incredibly fast growing. Like most fast growing trees, the wood of the mimosa is brittle, and branch attachments are weak. As the mature size of the tree ranges between 20 to 40 feet in height and width, breaking branches may not be fatal but are cause for concern when next to pedestrian and vehicular travel paths.

Is the problem with this species starting to become apparent?

One day a little mimosa tree shows up in your yard. A tree that we now know will produce a great deal of seed with excellent germination success, an incredibly fast growth rate, and the ability to thrive in most environmental conditions. Within a short amount of time, this one tree will have produced copious amounts of baby trees, which grow rapidly, bloom, and drop more seed, producing more baby trees… and so on. This cycle will proliferate out of control until your entire yard is a monoculture of mimosas.

Realistically, this would not happen in your yard as you would begin control measures before things got out of control. However, when species like this 'escape' cultivation and show up in natural settings, they can quickly take over and choke out native landscapes. When this occurs, we lose native plant communities and species diversity, which results in loss of wildlife habitat.

Thankfully, you – the homeowner – have read my BOLO, and will be on the lookout for this aggressive invader. Should you choose to remove any mimosas you find in your yard, cut the trunk(s) of the tree to the ground and treat the stump with an herbicide. If the trunk sends up shoots, cut and re-treat, as it may take several applications to finally kill the tree.

Jennifer Magavero is the Urban Forestry Specialist for the City of Tallahassee Community Beautification and Waste Management Department and is a volunteer writer for UF/IFAS Leon County Extension. For gardening questions, email the extension office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.

Where Can I Buy a Mimosa Tree Near Me

Source: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/home-garden/2017/05/18/put-mimosa-trees-your-do-not-grow-list/101835686/

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