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Mimosa scabrella

Mimosa scabrella
Photo: Valerio Pillar, CC BY-SA 2.0
Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Tree
Native range
SE. & S. Brazil to NE. Argentina
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Mimosa scabrella is a tree in the family Fabaceae. It is very fast-growing and it can reach a height of 15 m (49 ft) tall in only 3 years. Its trunk is about 0.1–0.5 m (3.9–19.7 in) in diameter. It has yellow flowers.

How to grow it

Mimosa scabrella can be grown at altitudes of 200–2,400 m (660–7,870 ft) with an annual mean temperature between 12 and 23 °C (54 and 73 °F). The annual precipitation should reach from 600 to 3,500 mm (24 to 138 in). The soil should be well drained. Acid soils with pH as low as 4.8 and soils with high aluminum content are tolerated. Waterlogged, compacted or severely degraded soils are not suitable for M. scabrella. Dry periods of up to four months can be tolerated. Mimosa scabrella is susceptible to strong winds.

Although M. scabrella is native to Brazil, it is cultivated in many South American, some African and South European countries. In its native range, some 28 species of insects are reported to attack M. scabrella.

Uses

Because of the abundant flowering and presence of honeydew caused by Cochineal infestation in some altitudes the tree has an important place in honey production, especially in Brazil. Its wood is suitable for firewood and can also be used as lumber. Before the advent of the diesel locomotive, M. scabrella wood was grown to fuel railroads in parts of Brazil. The long fibres are used for paper production.

Other Mimosa plants

Catclaw mimosa · Mimosa andina · Fragrant mimosa · Mimosa caesalpiniifolia · Giant false sensitive plant · Mimosa disperma · Mimosa hamata · Creeping Sensitive Plant · Mimosa loxensis · Sensitivebriar · Mimosa nothacacia · Nuttall's sensitive-briar

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Mimosa scabrella by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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