Albizia julibrissin seed
LATIN NAME: ALBIZIA JULIBRISSIN
COMMON NAME: Persian Silk Tree
The Persian silk tree silks the wide-spreading, deciduous tree with the feathery, twice-divided leaves that fold at night and the round clusters of the many slender stamens in the soft pinks and the whites that open through the summer, each cluster silking like the powder puff, the flat, brown pods following. The tree grows quickly into the broad, flat-topped crown, and it likes the sun, and the well-drained soil.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The silk-stamen flower clusters of the Persian silk tree give it a recognised place in the research on the warm-climate ornamental trees of the mimosa group, and the julibrissin species appears in the studies of the night-folding leaves and the nitrogen-fixing roots. The work looks at the way the stamens silk into the powder puffs, the broad, flat crown, and the seed biology. The horticulturists value the exotic bloom, and the growers of the warm-climate shade and ornamental trees keep the species in their catalogues.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
In the warm, sunny garden, the Persian silk tree silks the summer garden with the pink powder puffs. The clusters open through the summer, the roots enrich the soil, and the tree makes the fine shade and the specimen. It grows well in the well-drained, sunny ground. Pink-silked, feathery and nitrogen-rich.
To grow the Persian Silk Tree from seed, pour the hot water over the seeds, then let them soak, sow them into the sandy drills of the tray, keep the tray in the warm, bright spot and water lightly, and the seedlings surface within a few weeks.
Keep the tray in the warm, bright spot and water lightly, and pot the seedlings on as they grow. The silk blooms come within a few seasons. Plant the young trees in the sunny, open ground, and the silk blooms will puff within a few seasons.
Mimosa Silk Tree, Albizia julibrissin, Northern Source, Seeds
Hardy, Adaptable, Fast Growth, Easy to Grow, Showy Fragrant Flowering Tree, Bonsai, Attracts Hummingbirds, Bees and Butterflies, Wildlife Food/Shelter, Heat Tolerant
Native to Asia (Iran to Japan), Mimosa or Silk Tree is a fast growing, small to medium sized deciduous tree that typically grows in a vase shape to 20 to 40 feet tall with a spreading, flattened, often umbrella-like crown. It is noted for its bipinnate compound dark green leaves (to 20” long) which have a delicate, lacy, fern like appearance, (Sensitive leaflets close up when touched and at night). Silky, pink puffy pompom blooms, two inches in diameter, appear in abundance from late June to September creating a spectacular sight for a long summer bloom. Flowers are fragrant and are very attractive to Butterflies, Bees and Hummingbirds. Flowers give way to flat bean like seed pods to 7 inches long, which persist into winter. Leaflets fall to the ground after frost, producing no fall color.
Although rather short-lived (10 to 20 years), Mimosa is popular for use as a terrace or patio tree for its light, dappled shade and tropical effect. Its deciduous nature allows the warming sun to penetrate during the winter. The bark or cortex is used to cure bruises and as a vermicide. The seeds are used as a food for livestock and wildlife. Genus name honors Filippo degi Albizzia who introduced the genus to Italy in 1749.
Uses: Popular for use as a terrace or patio tree for its light, dappled shade and tropical effect.
