Albizia julibrissin (mimosa tree) seed storage.

My brother has a mimosa tree growing next door, and has for six to seven years. I tried to transplant some seedlings but they did not survive. After reading about how prolific they were, I figured that saving seeds would be the best way to start my own tree. We are in zone 5b, and I am surprised that his tree (adopted from the prior landowner) has done so well, however the question I have deals with how best to store the seeds until spring. Should I have kept them at room temperature in a dark container, or are they responsive to cold-stratification? I put them in the fridge, not having thought anything about the question at the time. I am not sure how they could ever be invasive up here, as after collecting seeds mostly from the ground and partly from the tree whilst they hung, I would guess that about half were harboring some type of bug which burrowed out to die in the container leaving an empty seedhusk. Spring comes soon however, and I'll be starting them indoors as a trial in the following weeks. Hopefully someone knows what I should expect.

Uh-oh.

Crawling into my reinforced underground shelter, safe from the inevitable Epiphonema...

Hello mikekillhoffer

I store the seed in the warm livingroom this is not a problem for these. They germinate very easily at room temperature. The seedlings should be protected well in the winter within the first years. If the Albizia is older, it bears temperatures up to 0 F without problems.

Mike, those first two responses reflect the dreaded wrath of the mighty Equilibrium, who might strike you down with lightning bolts for even thinking of propagating such a notorious tree. But I live near you in Petersburg and have had one for 30 years. Up here mine has not had any seedlings survive their first winter -- it's just too tender. I'm watching it, though, and if I start seeing volunteer seedlings making it, out it goes. You never know what the increasingly warm winters might do for this tree.

Guy S.

Shuck and Jive run for cover.

You guys are so bad. Ignore them mikekilhoffer, all of them are misbehaving. You live pretty close to Guy so why don't you go on over by his house and ask him to share something nice with you to welcome you to DG. You are welcome to come to my house and I will share some saplings with you.

As far as your Mimosa seed. By far the very best treatment is to soak those seeds in hydrochloric acid (any strongly corrosive acid should work though so no need to be picky)... oh, a few minutes should do it then rinse them off. Nothing better than a nice acid bath to break down the seed coat. Now, from there place them in your microwave on high for a bit. I'm thinking a few minutes should be just fine. After that, lay them out on a nice piece of paper towel and let them dry. Store them any way you like now and start them any way you see fit this coming spring. The method I have described above is undoubtedly the best method to store Mimosa seed for our state. Heads up, this is one of the few plants they are attempting to get added to our noxious weed list for the state of Illinois.

Guy, I am going to get that Mimosa of yours one of these days if it is one of the last things I do. You know that tree is highly invasive and we are undeniably in tornado alley. Your immediate area may not currently be hospitable to these ever so seductively alluring trees but we all know that a few good strong weather systems, as wells as critters, could move them into more hospitable areas and then what? You's be responsible for spawning a grove of Mimosa. Tsk tsk! No need to worry about the few ickies on your property, after all... I am the executor of your will.

This message was edited Apr 11, 2008 12:46 PM

Forgive me for I am about to sin. This photo was sent to me as a gift from a special person who is a superb photographer... he lacks sorely in taste of subject matter at times but his skill set is strong nonetheless. The word additions are my little special touches.

Et tu, Guido? Maybe it's time we all suffer the slings and arrows of Equil and fess up to the invasives we've planted. Alas, Berberis thunbergii for me. :(

Oh horrors, you? You actually planted Japanese Barberry? One of my neighbors must have planted that around me too because it started popping up all over here for the very first time last year. My girlfriend spotted the first one here on the property. I nuked it and all its siblings.

Seriously, I've planted more than my fair share of invasives around here all by my little old self. I bought from Home Depot, Ace Hardware, K-Mart, and WalMart with wild abandon years ago trying to fill in here to get something going so my yard didn't look so nekkid and we all know they sell only 'popular' plants so you don't need to be the brightest crayon in the box to figure out that I did considerable damage to myself with no one to blame. I've removed all of those plants but am still struggling with the English Ivy that keeps popping up to torment me. I have also pretty much removed everything that I screwed up and planted that was recommended to me and sold to me by that original landscaper we had hired back when we were building the house... except for one nasty that my husband begged me to keep and even that tree will ultimately be nuked either next year or the year after. We all have skeletons in our closets.

The seed do just fine being stored at room temperature or in the fridge dry. Having said that, Esqeel & Starkmill must have a point about invasiveness in your area (you 2 take note of my regional recognition). In my climate/region they rarely set seed due to lack of summer heat so there isn't the same potential. You might want to reconsider.

Where I am, it can't be grown at all (despite being in zone 9!)

Braggart ;)

OK for you, Sinner Evil-librium! And here I was preparing to give you a couple more special photos! Uh-uh!

I think somewhere we probably should make the point that such skeletons are relative. Someone who knows the threat and plants one carefully monitored specimen of a potentially invasive tree for study or public education (e.g., me!) is a different situation than a community lining the streets with them and walking away, ignoring them and their reproduction. It's sort of like having a license for concealed carry -- it's a risk and most lay people shouldn't do it, especially if it's just for landscape use where many other (non-problematic) species would suffice. That being said, I don't know how you draw the line objectively and effectively in the gray areas (like Albizia here in central Illinois), and I certainly don't condone anyone planting the worst offenders in their adaptive regions.

Guy S.

Thanks for the help and the warnings... Equilibrium... what does microwaving the seeds do? Cook the bugs perhaps?

Hi Mike:

Is it safe to come out? Has the angel of Death passed? I'll vouch for the prescribed recipe as certain death, but not for the angel part.

Your chain has been gently but firmly yanked, and there are probably no seeds that would survive the tongue-in-wringer treatment described above (which was the point).

I'm not looking to be cast off these forums. I'm also not interested in attacking or offending here, just passing through information. You don't need more print advocating against this plant, but I'd like to point out why regionality is (and more often isn't) important when debating/discussing/advocating about pest plants:

Because the plant doesn't know it, and because people don't leave them there, either. If you were successful in growing this plant (and were either unaware of its status, or didn't care), you would be likely to distribute it further and more likely to where it can/will be a problem.

So, how about joining the E list?

•Err on the side of caution (dare I say responsibility?).

•Enjoy the view of this tree next door; that's free.

•Elect to plant one of the thousands of wonderful woodies that you've never tried!

•Excite visitors and neighbors by increasing the woody plant mix.

•Elevate the knowledge base: there's a good chance that you could plant any one of the hundreds of IL indigenous woodies that none of your neighbors have ever seen or heard of.

Have a blast and great success.

V2, Good advice. I look at that great old tree and realize that nature planted it. I doubt that civilization would allow mom nature to do such planting in the present day so It is really up to us to perpetuate these great natives and protect them from predatation, animal or human. Sure the exotics are showy, but where will they be at the age of that oak. Ken

Glad you guys were able to get to that bur oak during your trip! Over 20 feet in circumference, 130 feet across, and roughly estimated at 300 years.

Where is Equilibrium in your E-list?
And where is Eviscerate the Invasives?
;-)

Guy S.

To actually answer the question in the name of science and for the arguement that they are weedy: Years old dry-stored seed can germinate surface-sown in two days. The verdict: Weed. (Unless you live in the fine, fine desert!)

Equivocal; I don't think your hydrochloric acid bath and microwave is quite sufficient. Woulnd't interest be best served by treating for fire (by putting them in a wood stove) or scarifying with a marble chisel or table vice?

And here I go, ironically, sowing Albizia seed tonight...
K. James

RickJames:

With any luck, your efforts may yield a lovingly crafted specimen like this.

It seems a giant, invasive, and exotic Albizzia has captured tree expert, Guy Sternberg.

Is it too late for our hero?

Who, or what can save him?

Is all the flora of central Illinois doomed?

Be sure to tune in for next week's episode of The Tree Adventures of Starhill Arboretum!!!

Scott

Oh, no!!! Now the Albizia-murdering Evilibrium will know what it looks like! I'd better hire some armed guards . . .

Guy S.

Oh my! I see a gray haired juvenile delinquent has been let loose and he's hugging a North American bane, wheeeeee! I take it this was the very special photo you all were saving up to share with me? Where's my chainsaw when I need it??? I'm gonna get that tree of yours and your little dog Toto too!

Hey mikekilhoffer,

Why I was thinking (batting eyelashes while smiling ever so innocently) that if you put them in the microwave for a bit that you might get mini popcorn? Maybe you could try it with your seed and come back and report what happens? Any bugs in your mimosacorn would just be added protein. Yum yum! Seriously now, no need to microwave them if you follow my directions for seed soaking. Don't listen to any of the people here- they're just being sillyheads. The hydrochloric acid bath will work really well. Plant anything left after you soak those seeds for a while. Oops, I take that back. JamesCO offered some great tips- I particularly like the scarification with a chisel but the vice might work too and come to think of it, you really could toss those seeds in a wood burning stove to incinerate them then just scoop out the ashes and broadcast those. Thank you JamesCO, it's so nice to know there are some people out there who have Mother Earth's best interests at heart.

Hey, watch that!!! I'm not gray, I'm just sun-blonde. But thanks for the "juvenile" part!

Guy S.

Guy, I'm wondering who guards " the tree" when you are away entertaining and mesmerizing the groupies?

Wolves and bears. And we joke about this, but I do take the thing seriously and monitor for any signs of reproduction. Like any other arboretum, we grow some things that are on the edge and it's our responsibility to keep them on our side of the fence.

What groupies? Do you know something I don't?

Speaking of which, I'm oughta here for Wisconsin, but only as far as Madison. I'll think of you as I cross the border into cheesehead country!

Guy S.

Sun blonde? Oh yes, I'm naturally blonde too! (quick fast somebody hide the bottle)

Soooo, using the old arboretum excuse for growing one, eh?

When you die, I'll be looking after your Mimosa for you! I plan on "parting" it out. A few pieces for my burn pile and a few pieces for your burn pile, a few pieces for mine, and a few more for yours.

Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

We have Mimosa everywhere around here. The pink flowers are pretty and they do have a pleasing form, but they run rampant. They are most commonly seen growing in ditches under powerlines, along railroad tracks, etc. I think most people around here are starting to see them as weeds. They love growing underneath pine trees in the dappled light. I have read somewhere that there is some disease that is starting to infest them. True?

I dunno about a new disease, but up here the main factor that keeps them in check is Ol' Man Winter -- little ones just can't take it. Even with the mild winters we've had the past few years, no reproduction seen here. On the plus side, not much recent annual dieback of our original plant either.

Guy S.

Here the disease I was referring to: http://www.forestpests.org/southern/mimosawilt.html

That filamentous fungi has been around for a while now since its introduction to North America. It hasn't impacted Mimosa numbers all the greatly as most infected Mimosa just die back to the ground and then resprout. This particular form of Fusarium does pose a substantial threat to Public Health though. Biting tongue since so many people love this thing.

I'm glad your link mentioned the specific form of Fusarium so that it would not be confused with Fusarium oxysporum f. Erythoxyli.

How about seed-boring larvae? I have some holey seeds. Perhaps they are related to the Honeylocust-pod worms?
K. James

Don't worry your pretty little head with such things as seed-boring larvae or pod worms as some mycotoxin producing strains of filamentous fungi can really put those to shame. Seriously, you just stick to your little Mimosa seedlings so they can grow up nice and strong so they can some day be a host to Fusarium oxysporium f. perniciosum. Sadly, Darwin's theories may just come in to play here (if they aren't already) for people who love growing this thing. I really wish so many of my buddies weren't growing Mimosa.

Pah! Do you mean that the fittest Albizia lovers survive?

Bah... to the behest of many, and especially that of my fellow midwestern gardeners..... My seeds, all 49 of them have proved useless. However, I found some hardy seedlings in my brother's yard that put out new growth on dead wood. Three weeks later, the two seedlings, with the help of Miracle Gro, have become giants. Our winter was mild for sure, but I must digress to the invasiveness of this tree. We had snow and very cold temps.... and this tree survived..... well 2 of thirty survived. So the two I am planting are hardy to 5b!
Wait until this new strain takes over the maple tree groves of the suburbs... (since every new homeowner seems to only plant maples... and soft maples at that) I am kidding of course, but I ignored the claims of invasiveness, until this spring.... we had an unusually mild winter. Seedlings exhibited deciduous behavior and grew just fine the following spring. This tree is far from being rated 5b. So maybe times are a changin'

Not surprised in the least to learn you have some survivors. There's quite a few of them doing perfectly fine by me.

Laughing out loud......remember the earlier Dark Ages when tomatoes were poison?
And even earlier when the earth was flat......and even before that... the earth was held up by an elephant.
I remember when everybody built fall-out shelters, because the Russians were going to drop an A-bomb on us!

This message was edited May 26, 2006 7:45 AM

I know of one doing just fine in Dubuque Iowa, Zone 4/5.

Yes, there's one up just north of Milwaukee in Mequon doing perfectly fine too. It's a specimen tree and holds a prominent spot smack dab in front of their home by the driveway. They're sharing all of their seedlings with friends. Isn't that special!

Oh, Goodie, Another Albizia enthusiastic rebel!

Evil, I am going to find seeds and plant this tree until it overwelms the Russian Olive groves flurishing in Southern Michigan! It's soooooooooo Pretty.

Guy, what's your secrete to success with this species, Tell All!!!