Encyclopedian Dictionary: Albizia julibrissin ( Mimosa, Silktree or Powderpuff Tree )

Pronunciation key

( mi-mō′sə )
( mi-mō′zə )

mi•mo•sa

[Mod. L. < mimus see MIME. Perhaps named so for apparent mimicry of animal life.].

Classified as part of the pea family which includes a large group of trees, shrubs and herbs and grows in warm regions. Usually it has bipinnate leaves and spikes of small white, yellow or pink flowers.

The silk tree, Albizia julibrissin or mimosa, is of origin in southern Asiatic regions. It has proven popular in small roadside gardens where the winters are not too severe. They are common from Long Island, New York but a little beyond is the limit for good growth. Coastal Plain, Texas and north into Missouri and Illinois in the east, and north to Seattle, Washington in the west, but less often as far north as Oregon. The form "Rosea" is the usual form.
They are often pruned back hard to stumped main branches or to the trunk, annually. The bark is dark gray-green in late summer then yellow and sometimes orange. The flowers have have the scent of sweet hay and bloom throughout the summer.


Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom	Plantae – Vegetal, plants
Subkingdom	Viridaeplantae – green plants
Infrakingdom	Streptophyta – land plants
Division	Tracheophyta – vascular plants
Subdivision	Spermatophytina – spermatophytes, seed plants
Infradivision	Angiospermae – flowering plants, angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida
Superorder	Rosanae
Order	Fabales
Family	Fabaceae – peas, legumes
Genus	Albizia Durazz.
Species	Albizia julibrissin Durazz. – silktree, powderpuff tree, mimosa, silk tree

The leaf.