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For the Love Of Nature, Art and Bad Humor
A Comic Gallery of Creative Expression in the Pursuit of Knowledge
Powderpuff Mimosa
(Sunshine Mimosa, Sensitive Plant) Mimosa strigillosa
Powderpuff- Because of it’s pink powderpuff flowers
Mimosa- From the Greek word mimos (mimic)- because its leaves
fold when touched which mimic conscious life
Powderpuff Mimosas totally rock.
They are not needy, they help with erosion control,
provide food and are just as delightful as they are helpful.
They can be an excellent addition or replacement for your lawn.
Because if you haven't heard.....
Sod is so last decade.
It’s needy. It's high maintenance.
With its constant need for water, fertilizer,
mowing and more water.
And what does it give back?
Neighborhood HOA bragging rights
but…for an environmental price.
Traditional sod lawns are going out of fashion.
Being replaced by native, low, ground-covering plants that work with their habitat...
rather than against it.
The Powderpuff Mimosa is a great Florida native
alternative for residential and commercial lawns.
Or just an excellent addition to your yard or garden!
They make generous, green ground cover, spread quickly, control weed growth and don't need watering or fertilizer.
Plus, their flower is as adorable as their name!
Tiny pink pompoms with yellow-tipped stamens that
pop up towards the sun like mini truffula trees
from a Dr. Suess book.
They bloom from Spring to Fall,
attracting butterflies and other pollinators
as well as playing host for their larvae.
Their leaves are just as charming too-
Miniature bright green, fern-like fronds that fold when touched- hence the name- sensitive plant.
You touch- they fold. With attitude.
They’re a long-lived perennial legume in the Fabaceae
pea family and they can fill a bald spot in your yard
like Rogaine on your uncle.
One plant can spread up to 100 ft wide.
Their roots are hearty and grow deep which helps with
erosion control and soil moisture loss.
Nodules on the roots host Rhizobium bacteria
which help fix nitrogen in the soil.
And they provide food for native wildlife!
Deer and caterpillars enjoy the foliage,
bees and insects love the pollen, and birds eat the
seeds that emerge when the flowers mature.
They look fragile with their filigree leaves and delicate
pink fluff-ball flowers but are quite resilient
and can handle light foot traffic and mowing.
They spread easily and can mix with grass and other plants
without overrunning or climbing over them or other structures.
And no matter if they started from cuttings or container grown,
they only need regular watering in the beginning.
Once established they are drought tolerant with no major insect
or disease problems and can be kept under control with pruning or mowing. And can thrive in dry or moist soil conditions.
They are pretty easy going that way.
The only downside is these flowers are not evergreen
and their leaves can turn yellow, brown or disappear altogether during the cold months but will return in the spring.
Otherwise these low maintenance ground covers are a popular
and easy way to reduce energy from mowing, downstream impacts from fertilizers, and groundwater depletion from irrigation.
In summary, you don’t need to drink a mimosa to realize how cool these mimosas are.
Powderpuff Mimosas- they kick grass!
References:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/powderpuff-mimosa.html
https://www.fnps.org/plant/mimosa-strigillosa
https://www.flawildflowers.org/flower-friday-mimosa-strigillosa/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_strigillosa
Special thanks to Jay Exum, Ph.D. Wildlife Ecology for his expert fact checking!
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