Characteristic features of the plant, the origin of the name, tips for caring for mimosa in indoor growing, breeding technology, pest and disease control, curious notes, species. Mimosa (Mimosa), like acacia, is part of the vast family of Legumes (Fabaceae), all because the fruit is a pod, which is often called a bean. However, a little earlier such a plant was assigned to the Mimosaceae family, which later became a subfamily. The genus includes representatives of the flora, which have a herbaceous, shrub and tree-like form of life, although the height of the latter is average. There are up to 350-400 varieties. Mimosa can rightfully consider the territories of South America, the lands of the Australian continent and the island of Tasmania as their homeland. However, thanks to natural forces and man, this delicate plant has spread to almost all continents, and you can now admire its flowering on the southern European coast, in Africa and the USA, it is not uncommon in our latitudes (the shores of the Black Sea and the Caucasus).
The scientific name mimosa is due to "mimes" or "mimic actors" - from the French word "mime" or "mimus". Apparently, botanists in the period of the 16th-17th centuries were prompted to this idea by the peculiarity of the plant to set its leaves in an intermittent movement, at any touch or too strong a gust of wind.
Mimosa practically does not lose its foliage all year round, but its growth rate is small, and even if it is a tree, its height does not exceed 10-12 meters, however there is information that in its native growing lands and in its native climate, mimosa can grow and up to 45 meters in height. On the trunk you can see multiple thorns, which makes the plant very reminiscent of the "relative" acacia. You can even hear how mimosa is called Silver Acacia or Acasia dealbata. The surface of the branches and trunk, except for the thorns, is smooth, its color is dark gray.
The leaf plates of mimosa are bipinnate with a silvery-green color, somewhat resembling a fern frond. The length of the leaf does not exceed 30 cm, and the entire surface of individual leaf lobes is covered with sensitive hairs. It is because of them that the foliage reacts so sharply to any stimuli and begins to fold or tremble.
It is flowering that makes mimosa so beloved by gardeners, and indeed by many people, because as soon as the snow melts and spring begins, the plant pleases with its fluffy flowers, which are painted in yellow, cream and pink colors. But they enjoy flowering in different regions at different times - from one and a half to two months. There are usually four parts per flower, but rarely three or two pairs. The number of stamens is the same or twice as many. The fluffiness of the flower is explained by the fact that the stamens protrude strongly from the corolla, and give it a spherical shape. The inflorescences collected from such flowers look like compacted heads or tassels. In diameter, such an inflorescence can measure from five to 20 cm. Mimosa during flowering pleases with a unique and very delicate aroma.
With the arrival of autumn in the northern regions of growth of this representative of the flora, ripening of fruits begins. It is clear that they are beans, with flattened sides and a slight curvature. Their length is 7-9 cm. Black seeds are formed inside such a bean. Their shape is flat, their hardness is high, and their length is 3-4 mm.
Caring for mimosa at room conditions
- Lighting. For normal growth and flowering, you need a lot of sun, but with shading from direct rays. An east, west and south window will do (you need curtains at noon here).
- Content temperature. From spring to mid-autumn, it is important for a plant to maintain the temperature within 20-24 degrees, in winter it is better to arrange a cool content, at which the thermometer readings will be 15-18 units, but not lower.
- Humidity. For mimosa, it is important that the moisture readings are around 60%. But due to the fact that the foliage is pubescent, spraying is not recommended, so it is worth raising the humidity in any other way: they put air humidifiers, vessels with water nearby, spray the air around the mimosa, or set a pot with a plant on wet expanded clay in a deep pan.
- Watering. When caring for mimosa, it is advised to pay attention to the top layer of soil in the pot: if it is dry, then it should be watered. At the same time, in the period from the beginning of spring to the end of September, the plant is moistened abundantly, from October they begin to gradually reduce the amount of water that is irrigated, bringing them to moderate in the winter months. Filling the substrate or completely drying it negatively affects mimosa, in the first case, the root system will begin to rot, and in the second, the leaves will turn yellow and fade. Water is used only well-separated, for at least a day. You can use river or rain.
- Fertilizers for mimosa. In order for the plant to feel normal, it is recommended to apply top dressing during the period of vegetation activity and during flowering - from the beginning of spring to August. The frequency of use of the drug will be once every 10-14 days. Use means for flowering plants in liquid form.
- Mimosa transplant and substrate selection. If the plant is grown as an annual, then the transplant is usually not carried out. But otherwise, the change of the pot and the soil in it is performed as needed every 2-3 years. At the same time, the size of the container should be gradually increased by 3-4 cm until its diameter is equal to 60 cm. The transplant should be carried out by the transfer method so that the earthen ball does not collapse and the roots are not injured. Be sure to place a drainage layer on the bottom of the new pot, which is expanded clay, pebbles or small pieces of broken brick.
Usually, mimosa soil is needed with medium acidity or slightly acidic. It is mixed on the basis of a universal commercial primer or made up of:
- river sand, turf, leaf humus and peat, the proportions of the constituents are taken equal;
- clay-sod substrate, deciduous soil, river sand and peat (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 0, 5).
Reproduction of mimosa when grown indoors
It is possible to get a new plant by cuttings or planting seed material.
Already in the first year of its life, mimosa can make you happy with the appearance of beans, while such homemade mimosas can be grown annually. Sowing seed is possible from March to the end of April days, but some growers recommend a time from January to March. In order for the seeds to germinate as soon as possible, it is recommended to soak them for two days in very hot water: at first with a temperature of about 60 degrees, and then, for the remaining time, the water is maintained at 40 degrees. Another method of scarification is to douse the seeds with boiling water and then cut the hard skin with nail clippers or rub with sandpaper. But in this case, it is necessary to try so that the inner layer is not damaged.
The container into which the disembarkation is carried out should not be large, its diameter is usually 15 cm. Then, already during transplants, the diameter can gradually be increased.
To do this, a universal soil or peat-sand mixture is poured into the container, that is, the acidity of the substrate should be neutral or slightly acidic. Often, flower growers prefer to compose it on their own from light turf soil, coarse sand and high peat (in a ratio of 3: 1: 2). Before sowing the seeds, the soil is thoroughly mixed and moistened. The germination temperature is maintained at 25 degrees. To do this, the container with seedlings should not be installed on the windowsill, it may be too hot there, but choose a place nearby, for example, on a table not far from the central heating battery. But in this case, the question arises with the parameters of humidity - they must be at least 60%. In this case, it is recommended to place a vessel with water or a humidifier next to it, or periodically spray the air nearby.
Also, to create conditions with high humidity, you can cover the seed pot with polyethylene or put a piece of glass on top. But then the owner will have to carry out daily ventilation in order to remove the accumulated drops of condensate and monitor the condition of the soil in the pot - if it begins to dry out, then it is moistened with a fine atomizer. When the first shoots appear, young mimosas begin to accustom them to indoor conditions, gradually increasing the airing time. But if a pair of real leaves unfolds on the seedling, then a transplant can be carried out. In this case, the diameter of the pot is selected no more than 7 cm. In such a container 2-3 seedlings are placed, so that later a more lush bush will turn out. Mimosas, which appear from seeds, will delight with flowering for 2-3 years from the moment of planting.
The grafting method is often used. Cut blanks for this with a length of about 5-10 cm from adult specimens from the middle to the end of summer. Sometimes young growth can be seen near the trunk of the mother mimosa, which can also serve as material for grafting. Such offspring are cut off with a sharpened knife. Then the cuttings are treated with a root growth stimulator and planted in pots filled with peat-sandy substrate. You can wrap the cuttings in a clear plastic bag or place them under a cut plastic bottle. But it is important not to forget, then, to air the seedlings daily and if you want to moisten the soil in the pot. Such branches take root within 2-3 months. You can then transplant into larger pots with a more fertile substrate.
Diseases and pests of the mimosa plant when grown in rooms
Aphids and spider mites are isolated from pests that infect a plant if the rules of cultivation are violated indoors. These harmful insects, settling on mimosa, suck nutrients from the leaves and stems, depriving the plant of vitality. Therefore, the leaf plates begin to turn yellow, new ones grow deformed and quickly fly off. Signs of pests are small green or black bugs, a thin cobweb on the back of leaf lobes and in internodes, and parts of the plant can be covered with a sugary sticky bloom.
If signs of pests are detected, they are treated with insecticidal preparations, such as Actellik, Aktara or Fitoverm.
The following troubles are also possible when growing at home:
- Yellowing and wilting of leaves occurs due to insufficient soil moisture and low humidity. The solution is to regularly water and increase the moisture level around the mimosa by all available methods.
- Stretching shoots, the plant signals insufficient lighting.
- If moisture stagnates in the soil, then the leaf lobes take on a yellow color and they do not open in the daytime.
- At low temperatures and low light, mimosa will not bloom. It is recommended to move the plant closer to the light source and raise the heat readings.
Curious notes about mimosa
It should be borne in mind that pollen from mimosa flowers negatively affects people sensitive to allergens. Interestingly, in 2017, "mimosa hostilis" was included in the list of plants that have a narcotic and psychotropic effect, but so to speak, such a plant has nothing to do with the usual bashful Mimosa, since it was never grown as an ornamental crop.
On the territory of France and Montenegro, such an unpretentious plant as Mimosa is allocated a day on which the whole country honors delicate flowers with a fragrant smell.
It is because of the sensitive hairs on the foliage that the plant responds to any mechanical stress. From any touch or even a gust of wind, the mimosa leaves fold, and the branches, as if frightened, fall down. After about half an hour, they return to their previous position. The same reaction goes to the change of time of day - the plant folds leaflets at night, but with the first rays of the sun the leaves are again "in line". But nevertheless, you should not often irritate the mimosa with touches, since, due to its expended efforts, the plant very quickly becomes severely exhausted.
Types of mimosa for home cultivation
Of the many varieties indoors, it is customary to grow only a few, while it is clear that the species should not be large in size and are mainly grasses, dwarf shrubs or shrubs.
- Mimosa bashful (Mimosa pudica). It can equally take the form of grass, shrubs or dwarf shrubs. Homeland are areas of South America with a tropical climate. Worldwide, this variety is most popular as an ornamental crop. In rare cases, the shoots of the plant reach one and a half meters in height, most often this value fluctuates in the range of 30–70 cm. The foliage has bipinnate outlines and the entire surface is covered with sensitive hairs. Pubescence is present in straight branches, but on the trunk you can see multiple thorns. A large number of flowers, yellow or violet-pink color, are connected to the inflorescence. The shape of the inflorescence is racemose or capitate, dense. The flower seems to be fluffy because of the too long stamens that protrude from the corolla. Most flowers originate from the leaf axils. Homemade mimosa blossoms will delight all summer months. But now it is grown in rooms as an annual plant. This species can be pollinated by insects, wind, or a host. This is followed by the ripening of a bean filled with black, flattened seeds. There can be from two to eight of them.
- Lazy mimosa (Mimosa pigra) also in nature it is a perennial, but in rooms its life span is greatly reduced (up to a year), which is very sad, since the variety has a great decorative effect. The branches of the plant reach half a meter in height. The color of the flowers is snow-white and from a large number of them, inflorescences are formed in the form of a head with spherical outlines. The leaf plates, due to their bipinnate dissection, strongly resemble fern leaves. The leaf lobes have pubescence with hairs, which make it possible to react to any contact, be it man or nature. The foliage vibrates and folds, and then for a very long time returns to its original shape.
- Mimosa feline (Mimosa aculeaticarpa) differs in shrub growth, reaching up to a meter in height with its shoots. But in some areas, these parameters can double. On the shoots there is a hairy pubescence, with spines of back-protruding outlines. Foliage with double-pinnate division, the shape of the leaf lobes is oblong, the size is small. When flowering, snow-white or whitish-pink flowers are formed, from which a spherical inflorescence with a head shape is collected. The fruits are pods (beans), with flattening on the sides. Their length does not exceed 4 cm, between the seeds of the beans, the parts are closer together and when fully ripe they split. The native area of growth falls on the lands of central and southern Arizona, New Mexico (its southern region), Texas (west and center), Mexico (northern regions).
