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A ou d
1745,
mimosa
a ived
i
the
U ited
States
as
a
o ame tal
t ee,
p ized
fo
its
f ag a t
pi k
flowe s,
delicate
foliage
a d
u usual
habit
of
foldi g
its
leaves
at
ight.
What
bega
as
a
ga de
favou ite,
howeve ,
did
ot
stay
eatly
withi
ga de s.
Albizia
julib issi
escaped
cultivatio
a d
g adually
established
itself
alo g
oadsides,
clea i gs,
flood
plai s
a d
othe
distu bed
a eas
ac oss
pa ts
of
the
southe
a d
easte
US.
Its
ability
to
g ow
quickly,
p oduce
la ge
umbe s
of
seeds
a d
esp out
afte
bei g
cut
has
helped
it
pe sist
a d
sp ead,
while
its
seed
pods
ca
be
moved
by
wi d
a d
wate .
I
a eas
whe e
mimosa
fo ms
de se
sta ds,
it
ca
compete
with
ative
t ees
a d
sh ubs
a d
alte
habitat
alo g
fo est
edges
a d
wate ways.
The
t ee
is
ow
co side ed
i vasive
i
pa ts
of
the
south-east,
tu i g
a
o ce-popula
o ame tal
i to
a
pe siste t
la dscape
ma ageme t
p oblem.
How
mimosa
escaped
ga de s
a d
sp ead
as
a
i vasive
t ee
Mimosa
is
ative
to
southe
Asia,
with
its
atu al
a ge
exte di g
f om
I a
to
Japa .
Its
a ival
i
the
U ited
States
i
1745
was
tied
to
its
use
as
a
o ame tal
athe
tha
as
a
fo est y
o
ag icultu al
c op.
The
att actio
was
easy
to
u de sta d.
The
t ee
p oduces
f ag a t
pi k
flowe s
du i g
the
wa me
mo ths,
with
each
flowe
cluste
esembli g
a
small
powde
puff.
Its
foliage
is
just
as
disti ctive:
lo g
stems
ca y
ume ous
ti y
leaflets,
c eati g
the
feathe y
appea a ce
associated
with
the
species.
The
leaves
also
fold
dow
at
ight
a d
ca
close
i
espo se
to
touch,
addi g
to
its
u usual
cha acte .That
combi atio
of
flowe s,
f ag a ce
a d
delicate
foliage
made
mimosa
suited
to
ga de s,
but
its
g owth
habits
eve tually
became
a
p oblem
outside
them.
The
t ee
ca
g ow
apidly
a d
each
oughly
20
to
40
feet
i
height,
with
a
b oad
c ow
that
may
sp ead
20
to
50
feet.
It
is
also
capable
of
tole ati g
diffe e t
soil,
moistu e
a d
light
co ditio s.
Such
flexibility
matte s
whe
a
pla t
escapes
cultivatio .
I stead
of
emai i g
est icted
to
ca efully
mai tai ed
ga de
beds,
mimosa
ca
establish
i
places
whe e
vegetatio
has
bee
distu bed
a d
whe e
ative
pla ts
a e
al eady
competi g
fo
space.
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Mimosa
t ee
seeds
a d
seed
pods
help
the
i vasive
species
sp ead
The
t ee’s
sp ead
is
closely
li ked
to
its
ability
to
p oduce
a d
dispe se
seeds.
Mimosa
develops
lo g,
flat
seed
pods,
with
each
pod
co tai i g
seve al
seeds.
The
pods
ca
emai
attached
to
the
t ee
i to
wi te ,
while
matu e
seeds
a e
dispe sed
du i g
the
autum
mo ths.
Wi d
a d
wate
ca
ca y
them
away
f om
the
pa e t
t ee,
a d
a imals
may
also
co t ibute
to
thei
moveme t.
This
gives
mimosa
seve al
outes
i to
ew
a eas
athe
tha
elyi g
o
o e
method
of
ep oductio .The e
is
a othe
complicatio
o ce
the
pla t
has
established
itself.
Cutti g
a
mimosa
does
ot
ecessa ily
mea
the
t ee
has
bee
elimi ated.
The
species
ca
esp out
afte
bei g
cut
o
damaged,
while
oot
cutti gs
ca
also
p oduce
ew
pla ts.
The
Ma yla d
I vasive
Species
Cou cil
has
desc ibed
mimosa
as
capable
of
i vadi g
ipa ia
a eas,
old
fields
a d
oadsides
afte
escapi g
f om
cultivated
la dscapes.
Its
seeds
ca
emai
do ma t
fo
yea s
because
of
thei
ha d,
impe meable
coats,
maki g
established
populatio s
mo e
difficult
to
emove
completely.
Whe e
mimosa
is
i vasive
ac oss
the
easte
a d
south-weste
US
Mimosa
is
ow
fou d
ac oss
pa ts
of
the
easte
a d
south-weste
U ited
States
a d
is
i vasive
i
a eas
of
the
south-east.
Its
p efe ed
habitats
a e
ot
limited
to
fo ests.
Roadsides,
vaca t
lots,
g assla ds,
clea i gs
a d
floodplai
a eas
ca
all
p ovide
oppo tu ities
fo
it
to
establish.
I
these
setti gs,
seedli gs
may
develop
i to
g oups
of
t ees
athe
tha
emai i g
as
isolated
ga de
specime s.As
those
t ees
g ow,
thei
ca opies
ca
alte
co ditio s
fo
pla ts
be eath
them.
The
Maste
Ga de e s
of
No the
Vi gi ia
ote
that
mimosa
ca
fo m
de se
sta ds
at
fo est
edges,
whe e
it
may
displace
ative
t ees
a d
sh ubs.
It
ca
also
sp ead
alo g
oadsides
a d
vaca t
lots
a d
deg ade
habitat
a ou d
st eams.
Seed
pods
ca ied
by
wate ways
a d
d ai age
ditches
ca
help
move
the
pla t
beyo d
the
o igi al
site,
exte di g
the
p oblem
f om
o e
ga de
o
p ope ty
to
a
much
la ge
a ea.
Why
mimosa
is
difficult
to
co t ol
as
a
i vasive
t ee
Mimosa
combi es
seve al
t aits
that
make
co t ol
mo e
complicated
tha
simply
emovi g
a
visible
t ee.
It
p oduces
la ge
qua tities
of
seed,
ca
tole ate
a
a ge
of
g owi g
co ditio s
a d
ca
ege e ate
afte
cutti g.
As
pe
The
Natio al
Coope ative
Exte sio ,
the
species
is
agg essive,
weedy
a d
high-mai te a ce,
while
its
ave age
lifespa
is
about
30
yea s.
Its
b a ches
a e
weak
a d
b ittle,
leavi g
established
t ees
vul e able
to
damage
f om
st o g
wi ds,
s ow
a d
ice.Co t ol
the efo e
has
to
deal
with
both
existi g
pla ts
a d
the
ext
ge e atio .
You g
seedli gs
ca
be
emoved
befo e
they
become
established,
while
la ge
t ees
may
equi e
cutti g
followed
by
fu the
t eatme t
because
of
thei
te de cy
to
esp out.
The
Ma yla d
I vasive
Species
Cou cil
ecomme ds
p eve ti g
seed
p oductio
whe e
possible
a d
desc ibes
mecha ical
emoval,
gi dli g
a d
ca efully
applied
he bicide
t eatme ts
as
possible
co t ol
app oaches.
The e
a e
o
k ow
biological
co t ol
age ts
fo
mimosa,
acco di g
to
the
same
sou ce.Mimosa
also
b i gs
less
obvious
p oblems
fo
people
who
keep
it
a ou d
homes.
The
t ee
sheds
leaves,
flowe s
a d
seed
pods,
c eati g
egula
clea -up
wo k,
a d
its
weak
wood
ca
make
b a ches
susceptible
to
b eakage.
No th
Ca oli a
State
U ive sity
lists
the
species
as
i vasive,
messy,
weedy
a d
sho t-lived,
a d
also
eco ds
pests
a d
diseases
i cludi g
mimosa
webwo ms,
mites,
oot
ot
a d
Fusa ium
wilt.The
sto y
of
mimosa
is
the efo e
ot
eally
about
a
pla t
that
sudde ly
became
ha mful.
It
is
about
what
happe ed
afte
a
t ee
valued
fo
its
appea a ce
was
moved
fa
beyo d
its
o igi al
a ge.
I
ga de s,
its
pi k
flowe s
a d
u usual
foliage
made
it
a
att active
o ame tal.
Outside
those
co t olled
setti gs,
the
same
pla t
could
ep oduce,
sp ead
a d
establish
i
places
whe e
it
was
ot
wa ted.
Today,
exte sio
se vices
ecomme d
ative
alte atives
such
as
se vicebe y,
flowe i g
dogwood
a d
easte
edbud
fo
la dscapes
whe e
a
simila ly
o ame tal
small
t ee
is
wa ted.