Albizia, a superb flower-bearing tree

albizia tree

The Albizia tree is famous for its fabulous summer blooming.

A summary of Albizia facts

NameAlbizia julibrissin
Family – legume family (Fabaceae)
Type – tree

Height – 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12m)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary

Foliage – deciduous – Flowering – Summer – Invasive in – USA, Canada, Australia

Care and pruning are such actions that support the albizia’s proper blooming and growth.

Planting albizia

Either of the following two seasons can be the right time to plant Albizia: fall or spring, preferably in a spot sheltered from wind. The most promising season that favors root development is fall, in order to promote settling in, but only if the winter weather is mild enough.

Where winters are cold, favor planting in spring in a sunny spot that is sheltered from wind, because it originally is best suited to mild temperate climate.

Albizia can hold to temperatures as low as about 22-23°F (-5°C).

Pruning and caring for albizia

  • Albizia tree

Albizia is a very easy tree to grow because it requires practically no care.

  • Letting its branches spread out freely is what will give it the most beautiful stature.
    It naturally grows to form an umbrella-like shape that it is best not to try to change.
  • Remove suckers often, those shoots that emerge at the base of the tree.

If you wish to reduce the size or balance branch growth:

  • Wait for the end of the blooming.
  • Try to keep its umbrella-like shape.

How to increase the blooming of your albizia

To enhance the albizia’s blooming, you can add granulated flower tree or shrub fertilizer in spring.

  • Scratch the ground down to an inch (a couple centimeters) deep around the trunk.
  • Bury a few handfuls of flower shrub or flower tree fertilizer there.
  • And then cover with soil.
  • Water.
  • The rain will do what’s left to be done, slowly washing out the granulated fertilizer to make the nutrients available for the roots.

You can also simply prepare your own liquid fertilizer if you’ve got weeds in the garden you must get rid of:

All there is to know about albizia

Pink and white albizia flowers close-up.Pink red flowers with long soft needle-shaped stamens really seem to burst out and are very elegant. Both the leaves and the flowers contribute to establishing a feeling of airy lightness.

This is the reason this tree is also called the “silk tree”. After being formally identified and described in the late 18th century, botanist
Filippo degli Albizzi introduced it in Europe, from whence it spread across the planet.

Another name for it is acacia tree, or sometimes also the Persian mimosa tree.

  • In the United States, many people call this tree “mimosa”, which is confusing because another tree holds that name in Europe: Acacia dealbata.

Its beauty should lead you to plant it as a standalone to best take advantage of its many appealing characteristics.

Smart tip about albizia

Plant albizia in full sun because it loves heat and its flowers will be even nicer!


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
aquatarkus/AdobeStock
CC BY 2.0: Wendy Cutler
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0: Max Guitare