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Mimosa Tree

Posted by aloha2009 5 (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 23, 12 at 18:28

We saw a beautiful specimen of a Mimosa tree at the Denver Botanical Gardens which is in zone 5. Everything I read online says that it is for zone 6+. There is a building to the North of this and other then that I can't say the area is anything special. In fact it's built on a slope which I would think would stress the tree.

Bottom line, will this grow in Zone 5 without jumping through hoops?


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Mimosa Tree

I believe you will have decent luck. It is reasonably fast growing and not particularly long lived anyway so you should be able to get one reasonably.

Oh, for those of you in zone six or where they are hated invasive weeds displacing dogwoods, plant one next to me and I will put some kudzu and bamboo along the property line to displace your lawn!


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RE: Mimosa Tree

you are considering ZONE PUSHING...

when one does such.. its all about the micro climate in your specific garden ... and we cant define such ...

and more importantly.. the whims of mother nature.. and when she is going to throw a z4 winter into your yard ...

and when you boil it all down.. it come to your ability to be elated at success.. and shrug on defeat ...

if you are a worrier.. or one who will be heart broken at loss. just skip it now.. and avoid upsetting yourself later..

that said.. if i could get a small mail order or 10 or 15 bucks ... i would give it a try ... but i surely wouldnt go paying 150$ for a 6 foot specimen .. there is a limit to my willingness to waste money .. [i wouldnt go to vegas either.. lol]

ken


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RE: Mimosa Tree

I recently was in Indianapolis (z5) and saw a nice specimen (if there is such a thing!) growing in a front yard. The tree was about 20 feet in height sited in an Eastern exposure. It should survive in a protected site from heavy winds and a mulched rootzone for winter.

If yours does not survive, take a trip to the southeast and take as many as you like from our area. They are weeds here!


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RE: Mimosa Tree

Gee, I had no idea mimosas would live in a climate that cold! I've always thought of them as tropical.


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RE: Mimosa Tree

  • Posted by lkz5ia z5 west iowa (My Page) on
    Fri, Sep 28, 12 at 16:48

You need a hardy one labeled rosea/ernest wilson. I've tried the hardier ones, and still have problems with winterkill.


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RE: Mimosa Tree

aloha 2009, if you get the hardy 'ernest wilson' that lkz5ia mentioned and protect it for a couple of winters with mulch on the ground beneath it and also wrapping as much of it as you reasonably can with burlap, etc, and then wrapping aluminum foil over that, you should be ok. Once it gets some size to it over a couple of years..bigger girth, etc, it should be alright on its own, but try to plant it in a sheltered, south-facing spot anyway if you can. I have 3 planted here in Portland and we normally get temps to about -15 each winter. Mine are about 25 feet high and have bloomed for about 4 years now...and I'm in what I would consider a frost pocket; sort of low lying yard. Good luck.


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