•  Plants & Trees
•  Anna Martin

Prep the silk tree seeds before planting them in a pot 1-inch deep around the spring season before the last frost.

 

You can conveniently grow Silk Trees within USDA hardiness zones six through nine. Once established, they yield flowers during the summers, blooming attractive pale-pink flowers, which give way to flat, long seed pods in the fall.

 

If you know correctly know how to grow mimosa tree from seed, you can fill your garden with this exotic plant. The process is straightforward. You have to remove these seeds from the pods and collect it during the fall, and then they germinate effortlessly. Seeds develop swiftly once you sow them after the frost has passed in the coming spring season.

 

This guide will take you through the step-by-step guide on starting a silk tree from seed. Fortunately, it is easy and demands only a minimum seed preparation.

 

Let us dive right in.

 

Mimosa Tree Information Overview

 

Scientific Name	Albizia julibrissin
Also called	Persian Silk Tree and Pink Silk Tree
Family	Fabaceae
Mature Height	Between 15-50 feet
Mature Spread	Between 10-40 feet
Toxicity	Seed pods can be toxic. So, avoid ingestion.
Native area	Middle East, Asia
USDA zones	Six through Nine
Flowers	Pink and blooms in summers
Soil	Acidic, neutral, alkaline pH in moist but well-drained soil
Sun	Full sun to part shade

 
Persian Silk, also known by its botanical name Albizia julibrissin, has delicate flower clusters and feathery foliage that look exotic and add to the garden’s appeal.

 

Typically grown as home ornamentals, Mimosa trees or Silk Trees belong to the Fabaceae family. When grown as specimen trees, they offer a lovely burst of color if grown amidst other evergreen or deciduous trees and bless you with light shade.

 

Their foliage goes from chocolate brown to bright green, depending on the conditions you expose it to. Sadly, these stunning trees can be weedy. But, they are adaptable and can grow on roadsides and distributed soils. Though invasive, the Mimosa tree lures pollinators like hummingbirds.

 

How To Grow Persian Silk Trees From Seed?

Albizia julibrissin (Persian Silk) trees can be grown from seeds. All you have to do is collect the seeds during fall and sow them the following spring when the temperature isn’t too cold around 70°F.

 

Mimosa loves the full sun and is not picky about the soil you choose for growing it. Upon maturity, these gorgeous trees open into a beautiful V shape and grow to nine meters.

 

These trees spread the seeds so it is very easy to collect them. Hence, it is not challenging for you to harvest them. They have an arching habit and seek a small space to accommodate their arching habit. So, while planting, please plan accordingly.

 

Their roots spread out as well. Hence, we recommend not growing them close to the cement patio or sidewalk as it might result in disruption. Some even consider growing the Silk Trees far from the gathering areas because the pod shed and flowers can be messy.

 

It is easy to grow Persian Silk trees from young trees or pods, and anyone growing Mimosa will be more than thrilled to share the seed pods with you. Now, let us discuss the process of seed collection, preparation, and sowing of silk tree seeds.

 

A. When to plant the silk tree seeds?

You should plant the prepared silk tree seeds in the late winter before the frost in the spring. Apart from learning how to start a mimosa tree from seed, knowing the right time to plant them is equally important.

 

Now let us look at collecting the seeds and preparing them for plantation.

 

B. Seed collection from seed pod and their preparation

 
When the seeds drop from the seed pods, you can collect them and store them in a dry, cool place till spring. With a rasp or a file, grate the seeds, breaching their hard outer covering. It can dramatically improve the results.

 

Move the seeds into an insulated container and pour boiling water onto them. Next, seal that insulated container and let your seeds sit in the water for at least a day.

 

Pick the seeds from the container and dry them. Once dry, you can shift them into a three-inch pot with a good potting mix comprising perlite and compost in a 1:1 ratio.

 

Do not insert them over an inch deeper into the soil. Now, you can shift the pot outside against a south-facing, shady wall. Water well to keep the compost mix moist. Seeds usually take about seven days to several months for germination.

 

C. Sowing the silk tree seeds

 

When learning how to grow albizia julibrissin from seed, it is equally important to know the drill of sowing the seeds well. Here are the steps to follow:

 

1. Collect the silk tree seeds in the fall and store them in dry and cool conditions till spring.
2. Once the frost danger ceases and the outside temperature warms to seventy degrees, your seeds are ready for sowing. So, from mid to late spring, you can start sowing them.
3. Rub one side of the seed with a soft rasp till its brown outer coating thins and the white layer underneath shows. However, do not rub excessively, as it might kill the seeds.
4. Boil some water on the stovetop. Now, take a paper towel sheet and drain the seeds.
5. While the seeds drain, start prepping the planting container.
6. Poke an inch-deep hole right in the middle of the compost mixture.
7. Add one seed in the hole and cover it with some more compost. Leave the growing media as it is, and do not try to firm it.

 

Related: How to grow redbud tree from seed? | How to grow asparagus from seeds?| How to grow cosmos from seeds?

 

How to Transplant From Container to Ground?

 

You must carefully transplant the delicate seedlings from the original pots to larger deep pots and then to the ground as it is vital for new seedling to develop rapidly.

 

So, the silk trees demand generous space for their roots to spread, the base to grow, and the leaves and limbs to appear on the top.

 

When you do not give ample space or plant more than a few seeds in the pot, the plant curtails its growth and stays small. It might also kill the plant.

 

We have discussed how to plant mimosa tree seeds. Now it is time you also learn about their plantation and move to the permanent spot. Here are the steps to follow:

 

1. Dig a hole of the same depth but two times the width as its current container in the dirt where your transplant your Silk tree.
2. Add some growing soil, potting mix, or fertilizer with the dirt at the bottom to add to its nutritional value.
3. Water the soil, leaving it adequately moist.
4. Let it sit for an hour to ensure the ground absorbs ample moisture.
5. Now you can start the transplantation process. Use a table knife or a spatula to cut around the container’s inside edge and loosen the root system and the tree from the pot.
6. Incline it towards one side (end prepared for the plant) of the hole and slowly take out the tree.
7. Never hold onto the stem to extract the tree from the container. It can damage or kill the plant.
8. Gradually loosen the plant from the container, ensuring it tips over when you lean it to the side, and the plant with the potted soil enveloping the roots come off the pot.
9. Start cupping the roots and slowly lift the plant with both hands.
10. Plant it into the hole, ensuring it stays in its place by covering the edges with the soil and gently pressing it down. It will cause a shallow bowl effect around the tree’s trunk or the stem.
11. Lastly, water deep.

 

How Long Does A Silk Tree Take To Grow?

The silk mimosa is a fast-growing plant. It quickly grows and tends to add two feet or slightly more height annually. So, the plant can reach at least twenty to forty feet in a decade or two, provided you do not excessively dock it while pruning.

 

How Do You Propagate A Silk Tree In Other Ways?

 

You can propagate a silk tree in two ways:

1. Via seeds
2. Through cuttings

 
We have already discussed the first method. Below we will discuss how to propagate the silk trees via cuttings.

1. In the late spring, pick a healthy, six-inch stem.
2. Select a branch sans any flowers.
3. Trim down all leaves, leaving only the top two or three leaves on the top.
4. Dip the plucked stem into the water and immerse it in the rooting hormone.
5. Place the cutting in a four-inch pot full of rich potting mix.
6. Shift this pot into a plastic bag, and keep it in a spot that receives full but indirect light, ensuring the outside temperature is about seventy degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Water the soil, ensuring that it is moist.
8. You will see the roots showing in the next three to four weeks.

 

Mimosa Silk Tree Information and Queries

Ques 1. How long does it take for mimosa tree seeds to germinate?

Ans. The Silk Mimosa trees can take between seven days to several months for germination.

 

Ques 2. Is the mimosa tree poisonous?

Ans. Mimosa or the Persian Silk trees yield seed pods. Every seed pod has about five to ten seeds that contain a neurotoxin, which may be toxic to livestock and dogs if ingested.

 

Ques 3. Can you eat mimosa seeds?

Ans. The mimosa seeds are not edible, but the plant has various other edible parts. For instance, you can use the flowers like vegetables. Its young leaves can also be consumed as pot vegetables in stews and soups. Mimosa Tree’s bark finds use in Chinese medicine.

 

Ques 4. How to grow silk trees from seed indoors?

Ans. Mimosa trees primarily thrive outdoors, but you can also grow the Silk trees indoors. For this, you will require

 

1. A large pot with good drainage.
2. Plant two seeds or cuttings away from each other as the plant needs ample space to grow.
3. Ensure it does not get too hot inside, as it might lead to the leaves turning brown, wilting, or even burning.
4. Fertilize the plants once every month with a feed rich in nitrogen having 24-8-16 NPK.

 

Some home growers claim that it is easy to look after Mimosa trees indoors because it is less susceptible to an attack by pests or diseases.

 

Ques 5. What are some mimosa tree uses or benefits?

Ans. Here are the three primary pros associated with the Mimosa trees:

 

1. From early summer to late spring, the Mimosa trees’ beautiful flowers are in full bloom, depicting different hues of pink. Beyond this, mimosa trees also produce flowers in other colors, like white and red, which attract pollinators like birds and bees. Some Mimosa trees even have bronze or purple leaves.
2. Mimosa trees are adaptable and can grow in almost all soil types and growing conditions. They thrive in full sun and partial shade. The plant is drought-tolerant and yields greener, fuller leaves in moist soil.
3. Its dense canopy makes for excellent shaded areas in the yard. Because of the shape of their leaves, they produce a dappled effect when filtering the light on the spots they shade.