Puff

Late this summer, our staff and Master Gardeners installed a large patch of a groundcover called sunshine mimosa.  Many hands made the project go smoothly and now we are reaping the benefits.  This now large swath of puffy pink flowers greets visitors as they enter our parking lot.  Is  sunshine mimosa a great groundcover and a Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ plant?  Yes, it is!

Native plants are very popular these days and those that serve a function in our landscapes are even more popular. The sunshine mimosa is a  great example of this. This mimosa is a native of Florida and makes an excellent and attractive groundcover. Named as a “Plant of the Year” in 2008 by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association, sunshine mimosa is a resilient and beautiful plant.  Powderpuff or sunshine mimosa is a low-growing, spreading legume with feathery foliage and distinct one-inch long puffy pink flowers. The deep roots of this plant, and its ability to root along stems, makes it very drought tolerant once established. Erosion control is also a noted attribute of this plant.  Sunshine mimosa is a fast grower and as few as five potted transplants can cover up to 300 square feet in less than one growing season. Sunshine mimosa can be used in both residential and commercial settings as an alternative to turf or in roadside plantings. As a legume, it has the ability to fix nitrogen via its association with special nitrogen fixing bacteria. This ability can add nitrogen to the soil. Establishment can be accomplished with potted transplants, rooted sprigs, or even seeds. Seeds should be scarified (the seed coat thinned) before planting. The seed coat on sunshine mimosa is very hard and unscarified seed will take a year or more to germinate. Sunshine mimosa is not very competitive and can be mixed with turf. Grass and mimosa can be mowed together without hurting the low growing mimosa. The development of nitrogen fixing bacteria may take more than a year to benefit these plants. While the use of a slow release, no phosphorus fertilizer will delay or prevent the growth of these nitrogen-fixing bacteria, its use will promote flowering and reduce yellowing.   Relatively pest-free, sunshine mimosa can sometimes suffer from minor deer or caterpillar browsing.

Where can you find a source of sunshine mimosa? The production of this plant is presently somewhat limited. Check local native plant nurseries and similar Internet sources. On occasion you might find some containerized material in local nurseries as well. Certainly, once you have a mimosa patch established, you can propagate

your own new plants from this original stock. To see a patch of sunshine mimosa in full bloom is an impressive sight – come see ours! Try some as a groundcover or alternative to turf for low maintenance areas.  For more information on all types of groundcovers, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Norcini, J.G. & Aldrich, J.H. (2009) Native Wildflowers: Mimosa strigillosa Torr. & A. Gray. UF/IFAS Extension Service.

Brown, S. H. & Cooprider, K. (2010) Mimosa strigillosa.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Lee County

Jordi, R. (2010) Sunshine Mimosa - Mimosa strigillosa.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Nassau County