The mimosas are blooming in Columbia, a week later than usual. A member of the legume family, which includes acacias, mesquite, redbuds, paloverde and locust trees, this small, tropical-looking tree is native to southern Asia, from Iraq to Japan. Introduced to North America in the mid 1700s, mimosas (also called silk acacias), adapt to a variety of soils and have become naturalized in parts of the Southeastern U.S. and southern California.
Mimosas are easily identified by their lacey fronds and fluffy, pink flowers; the latter, which adorn the tree from late June through August, attract bees and hummingbirds. Elongated seed pods, typical of most legumes, ripen by late summer but often remain on the tree through the winter, awaiting the warm, moist soil of spring; this prolific tree also spreads by suckering and, when conditions are favorable, dense stands may develop.
