Silk tree, also known as mimosa, or silky acacia, is a small to medium-sized
tree that can grow up to 20-40 feet tall. The bark is light brown, nearly
smooth, and generally thin with lens shaped areas along the stem. The
attractive fern-like leaves of mimosa are finely divided, 5-8 inches long
by about 3-4 inches wide, and alternate along the stems. Silk tree has
showy and fragrant pink flowers, about 1½ inches long, that resemble
pom-poms and are arranged in panicles at the ends of branches. Fruits
are flat, straw-colored pods about 6 inches long containing light brown
oval-shaped seeds about ½ inch in length. Pods ripen in August
to September and begin to disintegrate soon after, but remain on the trees
into winter.
Interesting facts
Mimosa plants are also known as sensitive plants. At night they have
the ability to fold up their leaves.
VIDEO
Links to more information
Video
- showing the 'sensitive' response of the plant to heat.