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Meet the Natives: Sunshine Mimosa
This week, we are highlighting sunshine mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa). This unique groundcover is found throughout most of peninsular Florida and is a member of the Fabaceae, or pea, family.
Sunshine mimosa is an adaptable native plant that can be found across most of Florida, primarily in open and disturbed areas. It is moderately salt tolerant and highly drought tolerant once given time to establish.
It prefers full sun to part shade, and can grow in dry to moist well-draining sandy soils.
“Sunshine mimosa can be slow to establish, but it will eventually spread and form a resilient ground cover that can be used to replace turf,” said SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Assistant Sophie Carpenter. “It has deep taproots, so can be difficult to remove once established.”
While it is a frequent bloomer in the spring and summer, this plant can appear more sparse in the winter, Carpenter said.
Fun fact — sunshine mimosa is also known as ‘sensitive plant,’ due to its ability to fold up its leaves when touched.
“Like many other members of the Fabaceae family, it has the unique ability to ‘fix’ atmospheric nitrogen, thanks to its symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria,” Carpenter said. “This adaption provides bio-available nitrogen, a necessary nutrient for plant growth, helping to enrich soil.”
Sunshine mimosa is an excellent addition to wildlife gardens. Its showy blooms attract bees and butterflies, and it is the larval host plant for the little sulphur butterfly (Eurema lisa).
Learn more or purchase sunshine mimosa at our Native Landscapes & Garden Center on Sanibel.