Invasive Threat

• Often called the silk tree, the mimosa has aggressive, invasive habits. It can out-compete and overwhelm native shrubs and trees. The tree has naturalized throughout New Jersey and southward to Florida. It occurs westward to Louisiana. It has also escaped cultivation in California. Seeds germinate quickly in disturbed soil locations. It has established itself along riparian areas where its seeds become widely dispersed by floating down streams or rivers. The tree has the potential to tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. It can withstand partial shade but prefers to grow in full sunlight.
  
  

Seed Viabilty

• In areas with a mild spring, the mimosa begins to bloom in April, but in regions that undergo a late spring frost, flowering begins in June. The tree produces flowers nonstop until approximately August. The seedpod requires a strong wind to break it from the tree. The seeds remain viable in the soil for around five years. According to Harvard University, a mimosa tree seed housed at the Arnold Arboretum in dry storage germinated successfully after 67 years.
  
  

Life Span

• A legume, the mimosa can fix nitrogen into the surrounding soil, which allows the tree to grow in nutrient-poor locations. The mimosa can grow sprouts from any living root, which makes it difficult to eradicate. Even when cut to the ground, the tree will resprout. The tree produces two to three distinct taproots. The soilborne fungus fusarium regularly infects the tree's root system and may cause it to undergo a short life span. In the United States, the tree usually lives only 10 to 15 years, but in its native homeland of Korea, the tree can live 45 or more years.
  
  

Control and Considerations

• Consider cutting the mimosa tree down at ground level or girdling the tree to destroy the main trunk. Hand pull any sprouts that begin to arise from the tree's root system. Applying a herbicide that contains glyphosate or triclopyr to the base of the young seedling can successfully defeat them. Avoid allowing the herbicide to come into contact with native plants because it will also kill them. Despite the mimosa tree's tendency to escape cultivation, the tree is still widely available commercially in various locations. Always rake up seed pods to try to control its spread.