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"Silk" Trees So-Called From the Look of Their Flowers

Exquisite Blossoms on Invasive Plants

Silk trees are fast growers, with leaves resembling ferns and blossoms that live up to the tree's nickname, "silk trees"....
Picture of silk tree blossom.

Picture of silk tree blossom.

David Beaulieu

Silks trees bear exquisite, fragrant flowers that bloom all summer. Considering all the fine qualities of silk trees I've mentioned, you may well wonder, "Are silk trees too good to be true?" The answer, unfortunately, may well be yes -- depending on where you live.

Silk trees (Albizia julibrissin), also commonly called "mimosa" or "silky acacia," are native to Asia. In some portions of the U.S., they are considered invasive plants. Silk trees have escaped into the wild in parts of the southern U.S. and made pests of themselves.

Consequently, like Bradford pear trees and catalpa trees (albeit for different reasons), silk trees are not necessarily desirable specimens for the landscape.

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