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As you are walking through a field you might happen to notice Fragrant Mimosa because of its beautiful pink blossoms. Or maybe its sweet scent will get your attention. If not it might just “grab you” with its claws as you brush past it.
Fragrant Mimosa is a deciduous, small shrub, 3 by 3 feet, with somewhat zigzag, rigid branches with small, delicate pinnately compound leaves. The soft pink puffballs are a contrast to the sneaky, strongly recurved thorns up and down the branches.
Fragrant Mimosa (Mimosa borealis) is also known as Pink, Catclaw and Sensitive Mimosa. The genus name Mimosa is from the Latin mimus “mime” plus the adjectival suffix osa, presumably because some species fold their leaves when touched, seeming to mimic animal behavior. Borealis refers to its northward range.
In spite of its prickly nature, similar to many plants in the brush country, Fragrant Mimosa is not native to deep South Texas. It is more commonly found in the brushy and gravelly limestone areas north of San Antonio and up into Kansas and Colorado and west into New Mexico. It is an infrequent visitor into the Plains Country.
The compound leaves of the plant, a member of the Fabaceae (Pea Family), share a similarity to the leaves of many other members of the family, including mesquite and acacias. Each Pink Mimosa leaf is composed of a stem, which may branch 3 or 4 times, with as many as 6 pairs of tiny leaflets on each branched stem.
Pink Mimosa grows in a variety of soils including rocky limestone soils, caliche, sandy loams and clay loams. It is both cold and heat tolerant and requires little or no supplemental water after it is established. It can grow in full sun and in part shade, but it will probably produce more blooms in full sun.
Its eye-catching blooms, normally in the March-July period, are an excellent nectar source for bees and butterflies. The showy flowers are fragrant pink and white, puffy globes with yellow anthers that appeal both to the olfactory and visual senses. It is reportedly deer resistant, but may be grazed by livestock.
Mature plants are difficult to transplant, but Mimosa borealis can be rooted from cuttings taken in summer and early fall, according to Jill Nokes in How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest. The seed pods turn brown when ripe and open with a twisting motion to release the seeds. Collect the pods before they open and avoid collecting seeds from the ground.
With a little effort you might also find this plant in the nursery trade.
Don’t confuse this native mimosa with the widespread exotic tree also called Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin).
An excellent plant for a xeriscape garden, Fragrant Mimosa can be planted in a garden with a desert theme, in rocky, sunny areas or as a backdrop. It will also tolerate partial shade. It makes a great background shrub. Because of its thorns, it can be used to block private areas. It is easily controlled and can be pruned to promote new growth and flowering.
Fragrant Mimosa makes an excellent accent plant or ornamental, in addition to being very drought tolerant and able to take reflected heat. Very deserving of your attention.
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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins
