Mimosa Pom Poms
by Kathy White
Title
Mimosa Pom Poms
Artist
Kathy White
Medium
Photograph - Photography--greeting Cards Or Notes Are Cheaper By The Dozen!
Description
There is not a whole lot I remember about my grandmother. She died when I was around five years old. I remember her bushes around the front sidewalk leading up to her house that always had berries falling off of it and onto the sidewalk. I took a couple of spills on those berries as a rambunctious child. I remember the little concrete pond by her house that she keep full of fish for us kids to watch. And I remember big, sweet smelling mimosa trees in her yard.
I bet there are a lot of us who have some childhood memory of a mimosa tree. I always thought it was so beautiful. Its leaves looked like fern leaves and I loved those beautiful pink puffy "flowers" that grew on the tree. They made you think of pink cheerleader pom poms, so I titled this photograph "Mimosa Pom Poms". I even saw it called a "powder puff" tree once. I have heard the pom poms described as resembling fireworks.
The Mimosa’s flowers will further delight the senses all summer long, as the 2-inch pom-pom-like clusters of silken threads seem to float among the leaves. Hummingbirds and butterflies are irresistibly drawn to their succulent scent. Some people think they smell like nutmeg. I have seen some say it reminds them of gardenias. It is an ornamental tree and can be a beautiful focal point in your landscape. The mimosa tree grows to around 20 to 30 feet tall. The flowers range in color from a beautiful pink to white.The flowers are about 1.5 inches long, and they form toward the ends of branches. It is also called a Silk Tree or Persian Silk Tree. Its beautifully rounded top or crown makes it a great shade tree within about 3 to 5 years.
Some call it a weed, though, because it can multiply so fast. They are actually native from Iran to Japan. But, in the United States, the mimosa tree likes sunny areas, so it is often seen along roadsides and open lots in urban or suburban areas. It is also successful along shorelines where its seeds are easily spread via waterways. The mimosa tree is less successful in forests with full canopy cover, even though it can tolerate partial shade, and in high elevations above 3,000 feet where the cold limits its success.
After the flowers fade, the tree grows hundreds of 6-inch long, bean-like, brown seedpods, or sometimes called its fruit, which hang from every branch. The seedpods persist all winter, even after the tree has dropped its leaves. One person described the tree as ugly or forlorn when that happens. The flat, brown seed pods will further provide food for wildlife.
Even though their seeds can spread in the wind, making them to be considered as an invasive nuisance, I still love to spot a mimosa tree, to take its photo or smell its pretty flowers. That then, brings back my Mimosa Memories.
Uploaded
February 24th, 2013
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