Albizia kalkora seed

LATIN NAME: ALBIZIA KALKORA

COMMON NAME: Kalkora Mimosa

The kalkora mimosa silks the broad, spreading crown with the dense heads of the pale-pink, powder-puff flowers through the summer, the twice-divided, ferny leaves holding the soft green, and the whole tree carrying the light, graceful look of the silk trees. The flowers open in the round, silky clusters, each with the long, fine stamens, and the flat pods follow through the autumn. The tree grows into the wide, open-headed tree of the warm hills, and it stands the dry spells well. It likes the sun, and the deep, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the mimosa group, the kalkora species holds a recognised place in the studies of the flowering legume trees of the warm hills. The research covers the seed biology, the way the silky heads develop and the nitrogen-fixing habit of the roots, while the botanists sort out the relationships within the great mimosa group. The horticulturists value the graceful bloom, and the collectors of the flowering legume trees keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm garden, the kalkora mimosa flowers through the heat. The silky pink heads draw the bees, the butterflies and the sunbirds where they visit, the ferny foliage gives the light, graceful shade, and the nitrogen-fixing roots enrich the soil. It grows well in the sunny, well-drained ground and stands the dry spells without the fuss. Silky, generous and summer-long.

The kalkora mimosa seeds need the quick treatment with the warm water before the sowing, poured over and left to cool, which wakes the hard, flat seeds. Sow them into the deep tray of rich, gritty loam, cover them lightly, and keep the tray in the warm, bright spot. The seedlings show themselves within a couple of weeks, and they grow on fast with the ferny leaves. Grow the young trees on in the sunny, well-drained ground, and the silky heads come within the few years.

To grow the kalkora mimosa from seed, sow the small, flat seeds singly into the deep tray of rich, gritty loam, then cover them lightly, keep the tray in the warm, bright spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a few weeks, and they grow on fast. Grow the young trees on in the sunny, well-drained spot, and the silky heads will silk the crown over the years.