Practical
Plants

Albizia julibrissin

Mimosa

a deciduous tree or shrub of the Albizia genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Albizia
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
12 m
Spread
10 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Young leaves - cooked. An aromatic flavour[12][2][9][10], they are used as a potherb[11]. Flowers - cooked. Eaten as a vegetable[11]. The dried leaves are a tea substitute[8][11].

Plant part
Flowers
Preparation
Cooked
Product or use
Vegetable
Plant part
Leaves
Preparation
Dried
Product or use
Tea
Plant part
Leaves
Preparation
Cooked
Product or use
Vegetable, Herb, Flavoring

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The flower heads are carminative, digestive, sedative and tonic[7][15][17]. They are used internally in the treatment of insomnia, irritability, breathlessness and poor memory[7][17]. The flowers are harvested as they open and are dried for later use[17]. The stembark is anodyne, anthelmintic, carminative, discutient, diuretic, oxytocic, sedative, stimulant, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary[7][9][15]. It is used internally in the treatment of insomnia, irritability, boils and carbuncles[17]. Externally, it is applied to injuries and swellings[17]. The bark is harvested in spring or late summer and is dried for later use[17]. A gummy extract obtained from the plant is used as a plaster for abscesses, boils etc and also as a retentive in fractures and sprains[15].

Plant part
Flowers
Preparation
Dried
Plant part
Bark
Preparation
Dried
Product or use
Plaster, retentive

Material uses

A gummy extract of the plant is used as a plaster[9]. No more details are given. Wood - dense, hard, strong, takes a good polish. Used for furniture, industrial applications, firewood etc[20][6][18].

Plant part
Wood
Product or use
Furniture

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy, Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
W. Asia and E. Asia - Iran to China.
Habitat
Open sunny ravines, forests and by rivers up to 2100 metres in the Himalayas[19][6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, drought
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant
Salinity
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak 24 hours in hot water and sow March/April in a greenhouse or sow as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[4]. Germinates in 2 - 3 months at 19°c. Scarification helps[5]. There are about 11,000 seeds to a pound, about 25 - 33% of which germinate[16]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of fairly rich soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer and consider giving them some protection from the cold for their first winter or two outdoors[K]. Root cuttings, late winter in a greenhouse[4][13]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[13]. Suckers planted out in late winter[13].

Cultivation

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil and a very sunny position[25]. Succeeds in dry soils. Highly fertile soils can promote soft sappy growth which is frost tender[25]. Trees tolerate a high pH, saline soils, high winds and drought[25][27]. They also succeed in poor soils[27]. Trees prefer a more continental climate than Britain[24] and when dormant are hardy to about -20°c in such a zone[25]. They are only hardy to about -10°c in the maritime climate of this country[25]. The young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender and so it is best to grow the plants in a position sheltered from the early morning sun[K]. They succeed on a sunny wall at Kew[24], and also in a more open but sunny sheltered position there[K], but only really succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of Britain[23]. If killed back to the ground by a severe winter, plants can often resprout from the base[25]. The form 'Rosea' is hardier and more compact, succeeding even in the drier parts of Britain if given some protection[24]. Plants are quite tolerant of pruning and can be fan-trained for growing on a wall. Any pruning is best done in late winter or early spring[26]. Often grown as a summer bedding plant[23]. Quite tolerant of being transplanted[25]. Plants often produce suckers[25]. Plants can be coppiced.[22]

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

  2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

    ↩

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩1↩2

  5. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00

    ↩

  6. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  9. Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

  11. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  12. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  13. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-670-82929-3

  15. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

    ↩

  17. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  18. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

  19. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩

  20. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

  21. Pardini, E.A. Eleanor A. & Hamrick, J. L. [Hierarchical patterns of paternity within crowns of Albizia julibrissin (Fabaceae)] American Journal of Botany (2013/05/06)

  22. Schafer, Peg. The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm: A cultivator's guide to small-scale organic herb production Chelsea Green ISBN 978-1-60358-330-5 (2011/01/01)

    ↩

  23. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

  24. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2↩3

  25. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  26. Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. ISBN 0-670-82929-3 (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  27. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

  28. [Albizia julibrissin] Wikipedia (2013/05/06)

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