Mimosa Tree care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Mimosa Tree (Albizia julibrissin) wants full sun and a drink about every 10 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Albizia julibrissin |
|---|---|
| family | Fabaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 10 |
| mature height cm | 1000 |
| min zone | 6 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Mimosa Tree?
Pink powder-puffs; invasive in the Southeast.
Is Mimosa Tree toxic?
Seed pods cause seizures in dogs.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 30 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.8. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.3. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. Its tolerance of waterlogging is low. It needs at least 200 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is high. Its fire tolerance is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to 2°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is short. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: no. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 20.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 20 feet. Its roots go down at least 30 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid summer. The flowers are white. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is white-gray. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is brown. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is high. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02