Having a mimosa tree in your yard in the south is fairly common, but there are problems. That it is easy to grow and make beautiful shade fast is a plus. However, you can't overlook that the seed pod litter can be annoying.
They like full sun to part shade and will grow in real shady places. It is considered an understory or medium high tree. It can grow as wide as 20 feet but trimming keeps it in bounds. You can't beat the pretty pink flowers.
I have found that I cannot do root cuttings from this tree, but the seeds start easily and grow fast. If you feed and water regularly, you will have a blooming tree the second year. It will only be 3 to 5 feet but will set a few blooms, even in a pot. Full sun is best.
The leaves fall in autumn. This is the ideal time to prune if you wish to shape. When you trim keep in mind the mimosa has a flat-ish top and fans out on the sides, so keep the design for a good tree. This applies if you have a single trunk.
During dry times you will need to water. In the south, the older trees develop a problem sometimes in real dry weather and don't recover. Watering usually deters this.
In south Georgia, it is considered a pest by some, and a treasure by others, so you can try it. If you don't like it, then you pull it. It can be made into a multi-stemmed plant by radical trimming, and will last longer than a single trunk plant because new ones come up around the trunk. It doesn't send suckers off from the tree.
By gbk from South Georgia
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To choose the right tree, you have to be careful to use its proper name as mimosa is also the common name of another beautiful tree. A true mimosa does not survive temperatures as low as 23 degrees F.
Mimosa trees are beautiful when they're blooming. I was thrilled when we moved here to find a huge one in our side yard.
Please be careful where you plant a mimosa tree. They grow really fast, and they attract ants like crazy! Either of these can make the "pretty tree" quite a pest for you, and/or your neighbors.
Mimosa trees originated in the tropics, but grow well up through many moderate climates as well. Growing mimosa trees in New Hampshire may be difficult with the long winters, but it can be done if proper care is taken.
