Albizia julibrissin Durz. The bark is light brown, nearly smooth, and generally thin with lens shaped areas along the stem. Pods ripen in August to September and begin to disintegrate soon after, but remain on the trees into winter. Because silk tree can grow in a variety of soils, produce large seed crops, and resprout when damaged, it is a strong competitor to native trees and shrubs in open areas or forest edges. Dense stands of mimosa severely reduce the sunlight and nutrients available for other plants.
Silk tree is naturalized from New Jersey to Louisiana and in California.
Click here to see a distribution map. Silk tree takes advantage of disturbed areas, often spreading by seed from nearby ornamentals or from contaminated fill dirt. It can, however, become a serious problem along riparian areas, where it becomes established along scoured shores and where its seeds are easily transported in water. Like many successful exotics, it is capable of growing in a wide range of soil conditions. Silk tree was introduced to the U.S. in 1745.