Anyone grow this yet? Chocolate Mimosa

Anyone have any first hand experience with this new tree? Any thoughts?

http://www.navletsgardens.com/newsletter/chocolate_mimosa.html


edited for typos


This message was edited Jun 15, 2005 8:24 PM

no but I sure wish I did - stunning tree

Oh for Heaven's sake!!!! Now I have to have that! I just love colorful foliage. You had to go and post that didn't you! Next time I go to the Bay Area I will check around and see if I can find one. How rude of them not to say what color the flowers are! Sheesh! Here's a link that shows the flowers!

http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/horticulture/now_showing/now_showing_photographs_details_individuals.php?ID=224

Wow Marc, check out THIS link.....now I have to have this one too! LOL

http://www.localharvest.org/store/item.jsp?id=2360

Karen :~D

(Edited.....I'm going to check my Forest Farm catalog at home, they have soooooooooo many things. It's not on their website, but that doesn't mean they don't have a few!)

This message was edited Jun 16, 2005 10:21 AM

Oh great! Now I truly will have no more room in my gardens! Love the Blk one ALOT! :-)
Thanks Karen.....I think :-)

Marc

Ok Marc.....we need an Albizia j. 'Black anything' or 'Summer Chocolate' pact here.....must link pinkies and promise to share cuttings with each other!

K :~)

Done! :-) 'Pinkie swear' LOL

Marc

OH MY
it says hardy to zone 5......

Ha! caught another unsuspecting gardner.......!

So where can I get this online - I have looked everywhere! Must add...

HORRORS! I can't find my Forest Farm catalog!!!! It must be here somewhere.........


(by the way.....have you all seen Lagerstroemia 'White Chocolate'? I think I'm going to have a "chocolate" garden!)

...searching.....searching.....

K :~

I''ve sent an email to a local nursery here in Washington state to see if they can help find this for me/us. Chocolate Farms.
http://www.chocolateflowerfarm.com/

Marc

Make sure they have shipping to Texas! RikerBear - wow what a site it is just now you have added to my want list. So many flowers I have never ever seen or heard!

I just heard back from marie the owner and she is working with a supplier to try and get this for us. I will keep you all posted on what and when I hear.
Glad you liked the site Mitch....sorry if it's going to cost you money for new plants. :-)

Dont be sorry for the money - be sorry fo what ever I tear out to make room! This is going to look great in th yard....

LOL You sound like me :-)

I "hand-me-down" my removals for new stuff to neighbors who's yards need the help! LOL

K

I try to pot them up - or I pop them into a few older friends yards, so I have a few extra flower beds now... just not in my yard...

I too have considered asking the neighbors if I can 'expand'....LOL Just what I need more flower beds................ hehehehehehehe

a few I asked - and a few were a favor... yea favor.. to them to keep thei yad looking nice... all in all I have four beds right now not in my yard... may have to keep it going... city parks sometimes they give plots away so I am tying to apply for that will see

Oh how cool! I'm big on dropping things into the round abouts in our neighborhood. Never thought about parks................ Hmmmmmmm

I wish we had round abouts..... oh yea parks are great depending on the city most have one where you can rent or be given space to use... the thing is you have to really ask them, at least over here they dont put out there they do this you have to go down, ask, get the paper, fill it out and then wait to hear back if you are approved - I was told it takes 6 weeks and this is a really small town in the burbs...

RikerBear - If its not too much trouble would you please email me if they are able to get that Mimosa tree or seeds in? Thanks

Riker - this is like the virus for gardeners... I would bet ya you could sell these on here and make a bundle.

Yeah Marc.....buy one for yourself and another to chop up into rooted cuttings for all of us droolers to send you postage for....LOL. Do you think it would grow true from seed? I'm betting you need a tissue culture or cutting start. Although I think the seedlings would be more interesting than just plain old Albizia j. Incredible plant. I'm going to start looking for it in my neck of the woods, too.

K

Well can't do that on DG Mitch :-)
I promise to post here when I hear from the nursery.

Marc

We promise not to run stealth missions at night on your garden after you get one. (fingers crossed behind back)

K :~D

Oh I believe you.....honest. :-)

Luckily for you I live so far away!!!! LOL

This message was edited Jun 18, 2005 10:12 AM

Riker- Think big, a whole web site that just sells the little shoots for 40.00 each. Just make sure they are over dry, really small, and a few are oak trees thrown in just so every once in a while they get mixed up so somebody does not get their order right.... LOL. Mitch

Grrrrrrr - cannot find this tree anywhere. Even looking for seeds and cannot find those. I wonder if they grow true from seed?

I really doubt it .... I have called everyone here in Dallas Metroplex and nada... I get the same thing everywhere "you want a mimosa? are you really sure you want a mimosa? There are lots of great trees we have here.." And then the sales pitch

You can get the seeds at www.localharvest.org
They have:
40 seeds 19.99
20 seeds 12.99
10 seeds 6.99

Think I am gonna order the ten seeds.

Thanks for the seeds link. Hope they arent a pain to germinate. I will be getting some as well. Thanks again Berrygirl.

Thanks Berrygirl! If I can't find a seedling I'll be able to give the seeds a try. :-)

Same here Riker - I hate to start seeds - most die on me before I know it or never come up... Uggg.

If the hybrid is anything like the straight species, the seeds will sprout just fine! Just like a Japanese Maple, you can find seedlings around the base of Albizia just about anytime!

k

Since 'Summer Chocolate' is in single quotes, this plant is a cultivar and is not seed-grown. This plant is propagated either by grafting or cuttings and all of the plants are identical.

Please be aware that if you purchase seeds, the seeds will have, more-than-likely, been pollinated by a "normal" silk tree and the resulting seedlings WILL NOT be 'Summer Chocolate'. The leaves could start out dark but fade to green as the season progresses. I'm not sure if Albizia is self-fertile, but if you like the tree you've seen in pictures, wait until you can find the named tree via mail order or local nursery. Don't waste your time on those very EXPENSIVE seeds. The trees that result from those seeds WILL NOT BE 'Summer Chocolate'.

Since this is a new introduction, just be patient, because in a few years you might find this tree at all of the big box stores for very little money.
My .02
Good luck,
Mike

Mike - Good point. From what I have read though, this tree is not sterile and as long as the pollination is controlled it does come true from seed. Of course, this info is also being given by those selling the seeds. I wonder if anyone out there actually knows for fact if this tree does or does not come true from seed? Mike is absolutely right though and I wonder if the info I have read is masked a bit in order to sell seeds?

The other thing that confuses me in searching for seed source is that there seems to be two different cultivars. The 'Summer Chocolate' which is what this thread is about and a 'Black Mimosa' that I keep running across. Are they one and the same?

by the way - I have a mist house set up specifically to root cuttings. If anyone has one of these trees and can spare a few tip cuttings I would gladly root for them as long as I could keep one. Send me an email if this is possible.

I dont think any of us have one yet! That is why we are sll still looking trying to figure this out....