The Mimosa Bonsai Tree, scientific name Leucaena leucocephala, is a deciduous plant that can tolerate drought and is easy to grow.
It produces beautiful creamy flowers that look like powder puffs or pom poms. It is native to southern Mexico and northern Central America where it is widely planted for fodder and firewood. Great for indoors.
Additional Information
Family: Mimosaceae
Scientific name: Leucaena leucocephala., Acacia glauca Willd., Leucaena glabrata Rose, Leucaena glauca auct., Mimosa leucocephala Lam.
Common Names: White Leadtree, Lead Tree, White Tamarind, Leucaena, Jumby Bean, Jumbay, White Popinac, Mimosa, Tropical Mimosa.
Origin: Native to southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Appearance: It is a deciduous shrub with grayish bark and gray-green foliage. Leaves are bipinnate with 4-9 pairs of pinnae and 13-21 pairs of leaflets per pinna.
Flowering: Mimosa tree blooms all year long producing solitary creamy flowers on long stalks that look like pom poms and are self-fertilizing.
Flowers are followed by fruit pods with a raised border that turns brown and hard. Each pod contains around 20 seeds.
Outdoor/Indoor Use: Both. You can grow it outdoors if you live in a warm climate.
Light Requirements: Needs full sun. It can tolerate partial shade but shading will reduce the growth.
Water Requirements: This plant likes subhumid and humid climates. It can tolerate drought but grows best in moist and well-drained soil. Never allow for the soil to dry out completely.
Hardiness: Grows best in the USDA Zones 9a – 11. Should be protected from temperatures below 40F. It is not tolerant of even light frosts which causes leaves to be shed.
Insects and Diseases: Psyllid, pathogenic fungi, soft scale.
Propagation: By seed.
