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Foliage

Form/habitat

Fruit

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Texas mimosa is an infrequent or quite rare inhabitant on caliche or gravel hillsides in Zapata and Starr counties in south Texas and Mexico. It is a rounded, densely-branched, prickly shrub having slender, zigzag twigs, grey to dark brown or black, small, recurved single prickles and twice pinnately compound alternate leaves. The eye-catching, brick red-colored seed pods also have sharp prickles on the margins. In bloom its pretty creamy white flowers transform the desertic shrub into an intensely fragrant, gorgeous ornamental plant, worthy of cultivation in Texas' warmest zone.

Plant Habit or Use: small shrub
medium shrub

Exposure: sun

Flower Color: white, yellow, creamy white, creamy yellow

Blooming Period: spring
summer

Fruit Characteristics: legume

Height: 3 1/2 to 7 feet

Width: 4 feet

Plant Character: deciduous

Heat Tolerance: very high

Water Requirements:

Soil Requirements: alkaline

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9

Additional Comments: Mimosa texana has also been applied to M. borealis. Also, M. texana has long been confused with M. aculeaticarpa because of close similarities of superficial features.