Does anyone know what kind of tree this is??

Hello,
My neighbors have a beautiful flowering tree and I want to get one but I don't know what it is. I don't speak to them (long story) otherwise I would ask.

Does anyone know?

Thanks!

possibly a mimosa?
They throw seedlings everywhere here and are pretty but a constant nuisance. If it turns out to be Mimosa, I will send you some if you want.

chris

Albizia julibrissin, common name is mimosa. This tree is invasive in many parts of the country, I'd definitely do some research on how it behaves in your area before you run out and buy one.

possibly a mimosa?
They throw seedlings everywhere here and are pretty but a constant nuisance. If it turns out to be Mimosa, I will send you some if you want.

does the leaf look like this close up?

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/105867/

chris

Yes, be careful what you wish for.

Actually, they may not be as much of a nuisance in MA as they are here in the South. They can get quite invasive, and are difficult to get rid of, since they produce at least a gazillion seedlings each year. Our warmer climate lets them run wild...(literally)

Actually, despite their 'weed' status here in my area, I do like them. As a child, I used the little fluffy blooms as ballerina skirts on paper dolls. My aunt had a huge one....and I mean huge. I've never seen anything like it in my life since. It was at least 50 feet tall with a trunk nearly 3 feet thick. The branches made a lovely umbrella shape in her yard, ad we played for hours under it.

I wouldn't have one in my yard, but love to see them along the roadways and ditches.

Thanks everyone! Is it too late in the season to order and plant?
I don't think they are too invasive in MA since it is the only one I have seen in the neighborhood.

I am so happy to find out what it is since I walk by it everyday ans stare!

Thanks!

Bob, D-mail me your address and I will send you a few. They are fairly quick growers.

Love the Bully!

chris

The tree is a Mimosa, it grows wild in Oklahoma. It is a beautiful tree with sweet smell. It does spread quickly, if you can deal with pulling up the babies it's a great tree to have. Good luck with it.

These trees possibly do have some useful value as a nitrogen fixing plant. they don't live long. So it is possible to use them to reclaim land, then clear them before seeding and plant something more long lived. They are highly invasive if not managed here.

I think any value they add in terms of fixing nitrogen is way outweighed by the negative impact of their invasiveness. There are plenty of non-invasive plants that fix nitrogen if that's something you need.

I would go send for your tree, we call them silk trees here and are enjoed for there foliage and perfume, mine in UK is about seven years old from seed, grown till this year indoors, now outside as too big, but even though it is in a large pot, never heard them being invasive here, would think we get as cold a winter as you do, so maybe thats the secret to containment, the soil is too cold for germination as I had to use bottom heat to germinate the seeds I grew. mine has a much darker/red flower puffball, Good Luck, WeeNel.

They actually survive pretty cold winters, it's hardy to zone 5 or 6 and there are some places at the lower end of their hardiness range where they can still be invasive. So I think it's probably other differences in climate that make them not invasive by you but they are over here. There are lots of things that may behave themselves on your side of the ocean but are nasty weeds over here (and I'm sure the reverse is true as well). I had one plant identified not too long ago that Resin told me was a rare native in the UK/Europe, but over here it's trying (fairly successfully!) to take over my whole garden.

Oh my God Ecrane, what a shame about your invasive plant from UK, I am so sad for you, I know what a lot of work you do in your garden, point taken about the different climates and growing conditions, but it is also true that really interested gardeners just dont let invasive plants become a problem for others, well at least they should'nt, but I know it happens, we have a real problem with introduced hog weed and morning glory, now a craze started for bamboo, most are invasive, yet they dont say this on the label, they are wonderfull plants, but not when allowed to get out of control, and because plants are being shipped and introduced all over the world now, there should be a warning label system, whereby it should be compulsery to warn that a plant has been kown to become invasive etc, but everyone dont even read the labels, they just like the look of the plant, or they seen it while visiting abroad, good luck with your weeding, how disheartening for you, WeeNel.

Hey, I'm sure we've sent our fair share of invasives over to you too! A lot of these things were introduced to other continents before people really knew how they would spread. I think at one time people probably thought that plants would grow in the same way everywhere, so if they moved to a different country they'd take their favorite plants with them, then it turned out later that it spread everywhere. I'm with you on the warning labels, I wish something like that was possible. I see so many people seeing trees like this mimosa or Paulownia with its pretty purple flowers, and they want to plant them because they think they're pretty, and plenty of nurseries will be happy to sell them without warning people what could happen. There are some plants that are such huge problems that they are banned from being sold in certain places, but that's just a tiny number of the absolute worst plants, plenty of ones that are pretty bad are sold without any restrictions.

I think the definition of the word invasive is kudzu! Y'all are right, they should have to put warnings on invasive plants. I see so many people get excited over things like trumpet vine not knowing what a monster it can turn into. If I see a plant I really like, I get all the info off the card and run a thorough search on the internet before I start shopping around for it.

For me right now the definition of invasive is Chinese Wisteria. When I try to tell anyone how invasive it is, they just say, Oh your place must be so beautiful when it blooms! This is beauty with evil intentions! Yes, search the internet, check it out, before you plant.

I have what I thought was poisen ivy climbing up my Honeysuckle. Now I think it may be a Passion Flower vine. Are there diffrent kinds of poision ivy; and how can I tell what is what?

"Leaves of three...let it be."

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1629/

This is Poison Ivy...can you post an image of your plant?