Silk Tree

The scientific name of Silk Tree is Albizia julibrissin, named after the Italian scholar Mr. Albizzi who introduced this tree to Europe around 18th century. The tree is native in Asia. In the U.S., it is called the silk tree. Probably, the person who named the flower thought that the flower?s stamens looked like the silky thread. In Japan, the common name is Nemunoki, Nenenoki or Nemurinoki which all mean sleeping tree. Also its Persian name Shabkhosb means "the Night-sleeper".

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It grows around hills and rivers spontaneously where it catches fairly good sunshine. It is a leguminous and deciduous tree, so it sheds its leaves when the fall approaches and produces the 4-8 inch brown pod-like fruits that contain seeds inside. The height is about 10-40 ft high, fast-growing, and its branches spread like a big umbrella so that the tree is easy to find from the distance. It is recommended to prune the tree during winter. The bark is dark greenish gray color and striped vertically as it gets older. The flower blooms around June till September during summer, and many of the flowers seem to fall once in mid-July, but the flowers will soon bloom again. The petals do not show very much from the distance, and the numerous stamens are crowded into a pom-pom like clusters that are soft pink or reddish pink on the top and white in the bottom of the stamens. It looks like a fine cosmetic brush. These types of imperfect flowers that have only stamens are called "staminate". The flower is about 1-2 inches in diameter. When watering this tree, please do not make the flower wet. If you approach the flower very close, the flower smells very sweet. The leaves are bipinnately compound leaves, and they are 6-15 inches long and alternate position. As seen in the photo, each of the leaf has 10-24 diivisions with 30-60 leaflets. The leaflets are small and oblong, pointed,and one-sided. The leaf will slowly close off bowing downward during night by itself as if the tree is sleeping. It is beautiful when the branches with green leaves and the pink flowers waving together in the wind.

Related Topics:
Leguminous - Deciduous - Seeds - Bark - Flower - Stamens - Alternate

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In the U.S., the tree is widely spread from Long Island, NY to Pacific Coastal Plain, from Texas to Missouri and Illinois, and from southern California to Seattle. The tree tends to grow in dry plains, sandy valleys, and uplands.

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The bark or cortex is used to cure bruises and as a vermicide.

Related Topics:
Cortex - Bruises - Vermicide

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This flower?s name represents the summer in Haiku.

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The legumes are used as a livestock and the wildlife food, and the flowers are used as a source of honey.

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The tree is often called "mimosa" in south, but it is not Mimosa genus of the Fabaceane family, which is quite confusing. Especially in Texas, "Acasia Baileyana" and "Dealbata" are also called "mimosa" which all of those trees are different from Silk Tree.

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There is an Albizia Julibrissin "Rosea" that is smaller, 20-ft high and smaller flowers that is often used for non-traditional bonsai. This type can be used as an Architectural plant for hot bright sunroom and kept at 50 Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) in winter.

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