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Powderpuff

Mimosa strigillosa

Also called Powder Puff, Powder Puff Mimosa, Sunshine Mimosa

Powderpuff
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Perennial
Native range
C. & SE. U.S.A. to Mexico, WC. Brazil to N. Argentina
Climate
subtropical

About

Mimosa strigillosa, also known as sunshine mimosa and powderpuff, is a perennial ground cover in the family Fabaceae that is native to nearly all US states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and grows north into Georgia and Arkansas as well. The name powderpuff refers to the small spherical flowers that rise above the plant's creeping vines. Like related species in the genus Mimosa, sunshine mimosa has sensitive leaves that can fold in a matter of seconds after being disturbed.

Because of sunshine mimosa's mat forming nature, drought tolerance, and because like many legumes it is capable of nitrogen fixation and thus doesn't need fertilizer it has become recommended as a replacement for turf grasses for the purposes of xeriscaping and lowering environmental impact.

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 strigillosa 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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