Native Plants

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Tuesday - February 12, 2008

From: Willard, MO
Region: Midwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Name of the rough-barked mimosa (Albizia kalkora)
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I read two years ago that there was two different mimosa trees one that is common and has the smooth bark and the other one had a rough bark. I am Interested in the one who has the rough bark and the name of it.

ANSWER:

Mr. Smarty Plants thinks you are talking about Albizia kalkora (Kalkora mimosa). The smoother-trunked ones are Albizia julibrissin (Silktree mimosa) and Albizia lebbeck (Siris tree). All of these trees are introduced from Asia and both A. julibrissin and A. lebbeck are listed on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's Invasive Plant List as a Category I invasive. Category I is defined as: "Invasive exotics that are altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives." A. julibrissin is also listed on the TexasInvasives.org web site as well as the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council's Invasive Exotic Pest Plants in Tennessee. Although A. kalkora is not listed on any invasives list, you should still be aware that it is not native to North America. There are a couple of trees that we would recommend substituting for your Albizia kalkora:

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite)

Cercis canadensis (eastern redbud)