- Author: Rebecca Wallace
Or: An Ode to Albizia julibrissin (Persian silk tree/mimosa)
Spring boughs adorned with delicate pink flowers attracted endless bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Dappled summer shade that opened to let in the winter sun.
The perfect breezy spot to sit and observe nature.
Oh but the mess! Not just a carpet of thousands of fallen flowers in the spring but also constantly shedding leaflets all summer long. Come late autumn, the leaves would finally relinquish their hold only to be exchanged for falling branches and twigs snapping off throughout the winter. But it was the seed pods that were its undoing. Long flat multitudinous beans that left no doubt to its membership in the Fabaceae family. They would dry and shake, clinging relentlessly to the leafless branches, rattling until the winds finally won, scattering the brittle pods across the property. The near-impossible task of raking and collecting without breaking them open would be at hand. Native to Southwestern and eastern Asia, mimosa can be incredibly invasive. I didn't think this would be an issue in drought-prone CA but I was very wrong. Come each following spring as the mimosa was again in bloom, all across the property, sprouting in the lawn, the garden beds, growing in with the potted plants were tiny saplings. Everywhere.
As much as I loved our mimosa and its beautiful canopy, the time had finally come this spring to say farewell. We had it cut down and the stump ground in hopes of inhibiting resprouting.
If I was going to put up with a potentially messy tree, I at least wanted a California native and hopefully something edible to harvest. In place of the mimosa, we have chosen to plant a Sambucus mexicana. The Mexican elderberry/Tapiro is a fast-growing California native. Drought tolerant once established, its springtime yellow flowers attract pollinators and its purple berries are a feast for birds (and jam for me!) The potential mess of berries is something to consider, but this open area of our yard has no hardscape and ample room for the pruned tree to grow to its potential 30+ ft height and 20-foot spread.
I do have high hopes for my new native but for now, it's is just a little sapling and will likely need some TLC to get established in this drought.