Good shade tree, but I consider them invasive. My neighbor has a large one and I am constantly pulling up seedlings all over my yard. It is messy and goes dormant for a few months. I wouldn't grow one.

Jane

I have a large one in the very back of my yard and love the look of it when it's in bloom. They aren't native and can be pretty invasive although I haven't had any issues with mine. They are difficult to remove once they get over a few feet tall since they have very deep taproots. I personally really like the look of them.

I think invasiveness varies by region.

I'm in the Deltona/Osteen area and there are a few mimosa trees in the yards here or there, but I don't see volunteers everywhere like you do in Ocala.

We have a few around the property. They will reseed but I don't seem to have problems with them. Usually the unwanted seedlings just get mowed over and die. They will make messy seedpods but in my yard they get lost or mowed up so not really a problem. I am more on a mini farm than an HOA type property so rules are more relaxed here as to what is 'messy'.
I like them- the flowers are fragrant and kinda unique. The leaves drop here in the winter. Maybe keep them out in the middle of the yard and away from the flower beds and they wouldn't be too much trouble that way.
A lot of people really hate them and consider them weeds. I kinda like ours and would probably plant them if I didn't have any already.
~SJN

North of Ocala they can become invasive. They usually don't grow well or long south of Orlando. I see some around Orlando but they are usually short lived. They are very susceptible to a wilt. I doubt it would even grow well in SoFL.

Thank you all for your comments. I have mine in a pot sitting on a patio area. I'd like to see the blooms and let it grow a bit before just chucking it. I'm in PB County, zone 10.

Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

Here is a link that might be useful: FlowerLady's Musings

I would go ahead and keep it and enjoy it while it is alive. Virtually no chance of it escaping in your area.

This post was edited by eric_9b on Thu, Apr 10, 14 at 16:47

Thanks Eric. I'll see how it does and if it blooms I'll post photos.

Just ordered a Pink Mimosa Tree online yesterday. Today, I've found out that it is a Category 1 invasive species in the State of Florida. However, I am not seeing any prohibitions against planting it in Florida or any restrictions aside from planting in National Forests. Since the tree will be arriving in a few weeks, I plan to keep it in a large container in the backyard patio. Our backyard is fenced in so we should be able to contain the seedpods. Just sounds like it'll be a messy tree. I'll try to update it's progress from here in Melbourne, FL:)

According to the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas database, Albizia julibrissin (Mimosa Silk tree), Mimosa pigra, Mimosa pudica and Mimosa invisa are all Prohibited.

It can't be prohibited if nurseries in Florida are selling them.

There are lots of plants that are prohibited that nurseries sell because nobody really polices them. Especially when it comes to online sources. And sometimes they get away with "Well, it's a 'mostly' sterile cultivar" as a reason to sell. It's like Lantana camara is on the Prohibited list and is prohibited for sale, yet cultivars are all over the big box stores. And if you read up on the cultivars like the Lantana camara 'Gold', the information says that 'reseed is unlikely and any seed to germinate will be true to parent, not cultivar'. Which suggests that reseeding IS possible and when it happens then the resulting plant will be the wholly invasive variety.

There's a lot of grey area when it comes to prohibited plants and UF being a university isn't going to completely step all over the toes of commercial nurseries because the backlash would be overwhelming. It's in this grey area that people console themselves that they're not really doing anything wrong.

Edit: Of course, then you have the "not my fault" gardeners who say the environment is already screwed up, so what they do or don't do in their yard isn't going to make much of a difference, right? And then you have the Jerry Springer gardener who just defiantly exclaims, "I don't care what anyone says, I'll plant what I want!"

Just due diligence here on my part, but I went to your blog and didn't see the plant of which you speak. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but are we sure the plant in question is actually Mimosa? Delonix regia, just for one example, is rather mimosa-like in general appearance. Just saying......do we know for fact what we're talking about here?

+oM

The silk tree that I think I have is the Albizia julibrissin. I still have it growing in a container, I want to see the blooms at least once and to enjoy the shade from it on my front patio. I'll keep you posted.

FlowerLady

OK, just wanted to make sure we knew that. Good luck!

+oM

Understood. I've been doing a lot of research on it (Albizia Julibrissin, aka, Pink Mimosa) and it appears to be on the "invasive" species list for a lot of states in the South East, including Georgia and Alabama. Interestingly enough, it doesn't seem to do that well in South Florida, which is zone 9b and 10a. We're on the line of 9a-9b, here in Central Florida. At any rate, I am planning to keep it in a large container, because having lived in Florida for the past 19 years I know all too well about invasive species such as the Brazilian Pepper trees in my yard when I lived in the Tampa area. I definitely don't want to contribute to the problem. Also, this plant appears to have a short lifespan, which will help:)

I want to see it blooms once, then I'll chuck it.

We took Amtrak from NY to Florida a few years ago. All you saw was Mimosa's growing along the tracks, in the tracks, everywhere in places no one mowed. From North Carolina down to Florida. You couldn't see anything from the windows of the train except forests of Mimosa's.

Now that we live in Sarasota, my neighbor has one, just one tree which invades all my flower beds. They sprout inside large bushes like Hybicus, Jasmine, Gardenias, etc. I am constantly pulling them out of flower beds. They will grow wherever you don't mow. They are difficult to remove. They make big seed pods which the wind carries all over the neighborhood.

Many of the seedlings do not show until they are tall and so difficult to pull out. I would never recommend anyone planting this tree. They might not invade your yard (but they will), but your neighbors yards.

Horribly invasive and messy tree. Do a favor to your neighbors and do not plant!

There are so many other amazing trees that grow in Florida (In all the zones), why waste time with a weed tree?

From what I've read online and here in this forum, I will NOT be planting this tree.

Thank you for all of your comments ~ FlowerLady

Ultimately, I will never tell someone what they should or should not do. I usually just cite what the 'officials' say and often times I will voice my opinions on a matter, but it all ends up on how much the gardener cares. A truly mindful gardener might be able to get away with a plant like this, simply cut the spent blooms before they even start to form seeds. When I recently went to Leu Gardens, I saw a few of these in a shrub border and I could only image the work the staff has to do to keep them contained, but I didn't have to imagine how spectacular they looked. As +om said above, there are other trees that have a similar appearance and some of them are quite Florida-Friendly. Gardening Solutions suggests Sweet Acacia, Bottlebrush and Dwarf Powderpuff.

Thank you Michael ~ I don't need any more 'maintenance' than I already have, and this tree would only add more. I don't want to spread these around to neighbors either.

Good stuff, Michael. BTW, there is a very picturesque tree with bipinnately compound leaves and largish, beanpod-like fruits/seedpods at my folks condo complex in F. Myers. I pretty much thought I'd ID'd it to Delonix regia. Folks are never there for that species' time of bloom, but I want it to be that tree, and not Mimosa, lol! It has VERY horizontal growth habits. Anyway, just throwing that out there. What you'all think about the Delonix? Obviously, not one for snowbirds....I'd darn-near like to visit S. Florida in summer just to see their season of bloom! If anywhere near like the photos, simply fantastic to look upon.

+oM

Tom, it's funny you should mention that. I won't get too heavy into this, but Snowbirds come down for the winter for the green, only to find that it's not as green as they thought it would be (maybe in South Florida, but definitely not Central). But during the warmer months, Florida is so beautiful, I really don't understand why they would head back north. Well, I do... I lived up there for seven years and I know that the north has it's own summer beauty, but Florida... it's just different.

Quite agree. I seriously want to visit your state during summer. And here's the issue: While I tolerate heat/humidity about as well as anyone, my wife just hates it! So maybe I'll be going it alone....on that trip, I mean! I totally get what you're saying, and with near-daily rains, it's got to be something to behold.

+oM