Mimosa Species, Gatuno, Velvet Pod Mimosa, Velvetpod Catclaw

Acquired a semi-dormant specimen of this plant while visiting Tucson back in March. Filled out rapidly and was in bloom by mid May. Flowe...Read Morering stopped sometime in mid October.
Overall, id rate it as a great plant for a full sun arid-type landscape, tucked away in a corner where the small, but prickly thorns can't scratch a passer by. Throw in any number of heat loving Salvia species, and some Sundrops, (Calylophus ssp.) and you have a very colorful summer display that will thrive on very little water after establishment.

Flowers are a radiant pinkish magenta when they first appear, fading to near-white. Foliage is the classic Mimosa-like look. Seeds can be mistaken for large grains of sand and are hard to locate once they break loose from ripened seedpods. As rarely as this species is encountered outside of it's native range, the flowers alone are worth adding to the garden.

Several yrs. ago, we planted 2 plants in native, unammended soil. for whatever reason- may be too far north of its range, it didn't get c...Read Moreared for,etc, they did not grow much After several yrs. of neglect, I began mulching and watering a bit and they are responding with a little growth and a couple of blooms. It is amazing how much heat and dry conditions this mimosa can accept! It may not add alot to my garden but since we are wild-scaping, I am glad to have it. In the Texas hill country, the mimosa borealis is the star, growing wild and flowering heavily. Mimosa dysocarpa blooms in late summer here and the mimosa borealis blooms in the spring.

San Antonio, Texas
Although I do not have this small to medium sized shrub planted in my yard, I have seen it growing at the San A...Read Morentonio Botanical Garden. A Texas native plant, the velvet pod mimosa is found abundantly in the Chisos and Davis Mountains of the Trans-Pecos area of Texas, north into New Mexico and Arizona and south into Mexico. The foliage resemble a typical mimosa, but are much smaller. It has many short branches that produce fragrant, pinkish-purple, cylindrical flower spikes that resemble elongated small bottle brush blooms. Each petal is tipped with white and reflects the light which causes the bloom to look like fiber optics. As the blooms age, they fade to white; thus, the plant has various colors of blooms on it at one time. As the 1 to 2 inch long fruit matures, it develops a reddish brown velvety outercoat; this is why its common name is velvet pod mimosa. The branches are a beautiful reddish brown. It will tolerate extreme drought, extreme heat and reflected heat. Gambel's and scaled quail feast on the seeds and the leaves are enjoyed by livestock if they have access to the plants. It is an excellent plant to use in a xeriscaped landscape, as a specimen or in a large container. It is sure to bring attention to itself. (Note: This species is not as "prickly" as other species.)